


Brother's Love, Sister's Love

by Anonymous



Category: Little Busters!
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Incest, Lemon, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-08 10:54:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 50
Words: 25,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18893197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: A series of ficlets revolving around forbidden love and the bond between the Natsume siblings.





	1. Chapter 1

The door yielded to Kyousuke's push, revealing the interior of the apartment. His eardrums were immediately assailed by the sound of many cats meowing in unison.

"I'm home," Kyousuke called out, just loud enough to be heard over the din. He dropped his briefcase and waded through the sea of felines, wondering if the number of four legged residents had grown or if it was just his imagination. He was going to have to talk to Rin about that. Still, as long as Rin was happy, he was happy. It really was difficult not to spoil his beloved little sister.

Rin was curled up on the couch, eyes closed, with a peaceful expression on her face. One cat was spread out by her stomach and another was curled up behind her legs. It was such a heartwarming sight that Kyousuke couldn't help but just stand there, watching her with a smile on his face.

The moment was spoiled when a cat leaped onto the sofa and proceeded to walk onto Rin's face.

"Mmmf?!" Rin stirred, waving an arm. "Hey, get off!" She pushed the cat away and sat up, grumbling. "Geez, don't walk on me when I'm sleeping. How many times do I have to tell- Uwah?!" 

Rin's eyes had met with Kyousuke's. Her lips flapped without any sound for a few seconds while her cheeks flushed. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Only a minute or so." Kyousuke's lips twitched at the corner. "I couldn't possibly disturb you while you were sleeping, could I?"

"Well, I don't want you watching me while I'm sleeping!" The flush in Rin's cheeks deepened. "That's just embarrassing." She lowered her head and puffed her cheeks out, letting out an indignant huff. "Geez."

Kyousuke chuckled, reaching out to rub her head. She really was so cute. Rin peeked up at him through her bangs, a slight frown creasing her brow. "So, what did you get up to today?"

"Well, not a lot. I did go out for a walk though, I went all the way to the park and even managed to find two new cats." Rin puffed her chest out, smiling.

So it really hadn't been his imagination after all. Kyousuke raised an eyebrow. "I see. That's, uh, quite impressive. But don't you think you've got enough cats for now, Rin?" Of course he was aware of the tiniest bit of hypocrisy in saying this, it was him who had gathered and foisted so many cats on her. He only had himself to blame for the multitude of cats Rin now owned.

"Hm, you think so?" Rin tilted her head, frown lines wrinkling her brow. "Maybe you're right. But I couldn't possibly get rid of Mozart and Jobs now, they've already settled in and I'd hate to throw them out."

Wow, she had even named the cats already. Kyousuke smiled, letting out a faint, exasperated sound. "I suppose not. But no more, alright?" Kyousuke sat down next to her. "It must be boring for you being stuck here all day while I'm at work."

"It's not too bad." Rin shrugged. "I've got the cats."

"Right. So you're not even feeling a little lonely while I'm not here?" Kyousuke regarded her with a faint smile.

Rin pursed her lips, her eyes sliding sideways. "It's not like I'm pining for you all day or anything," she said finally, crossing her arms. "I'm fine."

Kyousuke chuckled. "Just be honest, Rin. It won't kill you."

"I am! Geez, you're so annoying sometimes." Rin punctuated her statement with a huff. A long moment passed by before she spoke again. "I guess I'm kinda happy you're back home though."

"There you go." Kyousuke put his hand on her head, giving it another rub. "That wasn't too hard now, was it?"

Rin made awkward mumbling sounds while squirming around. It really was so cute how shy and awkward she could be, Kyousuke thought. Being honest really wasn't easy for her at all. He continued to smile at her fondly for a short few seconds before leaning in to wrap his arms around her. Rin made a faint noise, slightly startled by the sudden motion.

"Well, I'm home now." Kyousuke kissed her on the cheek. "So you're not lonely anymore."

"I told you, I'm not lonely," Rin protested, twisting around to face him. "I have the cats. I'm totally fine."

And she was back to being in complete denial. Kyousuke let out a sigh of exasperation mingled with amusement. "Alright, if you say so. So, where's my welcome home kiss?"

Rin blinked, a complicated expression forming on her face as she stared at him. Somehow, her cheeks managed to get even redder. Finally, she leaned in and quickly kissed his cheek. "W-welcome home." 

"Ahh, that's more like it."

"Kissing is embarrassing," Rin mumbled, lowering her head.

"That's alright. You don't have to force yourself." Kyousuke ruffled her hair, giving her a swift peck on the forehead. "I'm just happy to be with my cute little sister." He rested his cheek atop her head, folding his arms around her in a secure embrace. 

"You really do sound like a deranged siscon sometimes." In spite of her snide remark, Rin relaxed in his hold and closed her eyes.


	2. Holiday

Normally, to have something like a holiday would be kind of bittersweet because it meant going home and not being able to see their friends every day, but winter break brought with it a certain sense of excitement for Kyousuke and Rin.

Sure, the days were almost too quiet with just the two of them, though Kyousuke did his best to think of things to do so boredom was never an issue, but being alone had its advantages. 

No having to sneak around. No arranged meetings. They could hold hands, kiss and touch each other all they wanted. With all the free time they had to themselves and nobody around to potentially disturb them, they didn't have to worry about getting caught.

Kyousuke felt a giddy thrill as he sat atop his little sister on the couch and slowly pulled away her layers of clothing. Rin gazed up at him, her face flushed a rosy hue. As he rested his hand on her exposed breath, he could feel her heart throbbing away beneath her soft skin. He leaned in to kiss her lips and dived right in.

There was no risk. They could carry on as they liked, uninterrupted. As much as they missed their friends, they were so glad to have this holiday all to themselves.


	3. School

"You will be alright while I'm gone, won't you?" 

Rin shifted her head slightly in the barest hint of a nod. Her posture however suggested she wasn't quite as certain, with her arms hugging her legs to her chest.

"Hey, come on." Kyousuke sat down next to Rin, placing a hand on her head. "Don't make such a sad face. It's not like you're going to be alone, you know, Riki and everyone else are here."

Rin turned her round, luminous eyes on him. "I know, but it's just not going to be the same anymore."

"You'll still be having lots of fun. It won't be that bad."

"I guess so." Rin let out a sigh. "But I'm really going to miss you."

Kyousuke studied her face, taking in the features that he knew so well. He knew exactly how she felt. No longer would they be able to see each other every day. There would be no more secret visits to his room. They would have very few opportunities to do certain things. Would their relationship be affected by this, he wondered. He was really going to miss being able to kiss her, to hold her and make love to her, and he was sure she too was thinking the same thing.

There was less than a week now until graduation, when he would leave the school where he had shared so many wonderful memories with everyone. So much had changed over the past three years. At the beginning, he never could have imagined being where he was now, in a relationship with his own little sister.

"Cheer up, alright?" Kyousuke stroked her head. "I'll still come and visit, and you can come and stay with me sometimes. You're not going to be alone, Rin. Everyone else will be with you. I don't want you to be sad."

Rin nodded again and rested against him. "I wish you didn't have to go."

Kyousuke put his arm around her and rested his lips on the top of her head, closing his eyes.


	4. Work

Work really could be so tiring. It wasn't like Kyousuke hated his job but there were times when he found himself longing for the day to end. It could be demanding, for sure, but it was the only way he was going to make any money.

He was in the middle of typing, staring at the computer screen with a tired look on his face, when he heard his cellphone buzz. Kyousuke took it out of his pocket to see that he had received a text message from Rin.

'Hang in there. '.''

That was her response to his earlier text sent to her, where he had mentioned what a particularly hard day he was having. 

Kyousuke smiled. It was so like her to send a short and simple text message that was straight to the point. It might not have been much, but it still managed to cheer him up a little.


	5. Engagement

Riki and Komari had come over to Kyousuke's apartment to announce their engagement. After the initial celebratory drinks, Riki and Kyousuke had gone out together, leaving Rin and Komari in the apartment.

"I wonder if you'll ever get married," Komari said, with an innocent smile on her face.

"Huh?" Rin responded with a baffled look. "But we can't get married, because we..." She halted, her face paling.

"We?" Komari blinked, tilting her head. She took in the sight of Rin's panicked expression, her brow furrowing. Was it just her imagination or was Rin suddenly afraid?

"Um. Er." Rin's lips flapped and her eyes darted from side to side. "I mean, I'm not really interested in getting married. I'm not planning on getting a boyfriend or anything."

"I see." Komari put her hands to her mouth, a small smile forming on her face. Her eyes turned slightly sad. "Rin-chan, you must have a secret of your own, don't you?"

"Eh?" Rin stiffened. "What are you talking about? I don't have any secrets."

"You know, there was that time back in school, for a while, it was kind of strange. I would come to find you, but you wouldn't be there and sometimes Riki-kun would ask about you and I would have no idea, and neither did the others. If you weren't with the boys and you weren't with us girls, then, well, I'm not sure where else you would have been. Sometimes I even looked for the cats but you weren't with them either.

"Really?" Rin lowered her head, her heart thumping. Had Komari figured it out? A chill ran through her veins. What was she going to do? If Komari told Riki...

"It's okay, Rin-chan." Komari took Rin's hands into her own. Rin peered at her, seeing the bright smile on her face. "I won't tell anybody. You two are happy, aren't you?"

"Y-yeah," Rin choked out.

"Then it's fine." Komari inclined her head in an emphatic nod. "It's a pity you two won't be able to get married, but all that matters is that you're together and you're happy, right?"

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything..."

Komari shook her head. "I know. Other people would find it weird, wouldn't they? So you can't tell anyone." She put her arms around Rin. "I'm glad you've been able to find happiness, Rin-chan. I hope you will always be happy together."

"Komari-chan," Rin murmured, hugging her back. "Thank you."


	6. Wedding

Rin looked so beautiful, dressed all in white. Her hair was tied back in a neat bun, concealed beneath the long white veil cascading down around her shoulders. 

Kyousuke tore his gaze away from her for a second, looking over at the guests. All the Little Busters were here at their wedding, watching with smiles on their faces as the two prepare to tie the knot. The sight brought a fresh tear to his eye and he found himself overwhelmed by a surge of joy.

After all the hardships the two of them had overcome, it was so delightful to see everyone here, accepting their relationship and cheering them on. He could scarcely believe it, that they were standing right here, preparing to take the next step in their relationship.

Kyousuke was just about to slide the ring onto Rin's finger, heart thumping furiously, when a shrill blare resounded in his ears. He jolted awake, blinking, feeling dazed and confused for a moment. The confusion was swiftly followed by a pang in his chest.

Of course it had just been a dream. No such future could exist. Kyousuke turned his head, taking in the sight of his little sister lying next to him. A lump formed in his throat. He sat up to still the alarm and remained sitting for a while, staring despondently at the opposite wall.

It wasn't so much the thought of a wedding, but the idea of their friends being there and supporting them that brought him so much pain. How he wished that might one day be reality. Maybe it still could. He would never give up hope for it, no matter how much time went by.


	7. Anniversary

Rin heard her cellphone ring and picked it up to see Kyousuke's name on the screen. Without hesitation, she answered. "Hi."

"Hey, Rin." Hearing Kyousuke's voice filled her with a deep warmth. "How are you?"

"Alright. I've just been hanging out with everyone. They are all doing fine too. Riki's talking about doing something fun this weekend."

"Is he? That sounds great. Pity I won't be able to make it, but work is keeping me really busy."

"Oh. That's a shame. I really miss you."

"Yeah, I miss you too. Anyway, do you know what today is?"

"Huh? Hmm." Rin walked over to the calendar, checking the date. "Sorry, I have no idea. Is it someone's birthday or something?" 

Kyousuke exhaled. "Ah, so you don't remember, huh. It's a year to the day since we started dating."

"Oh?" Rin blinked. Now that she thought about it, it had been around this time last year that they had taken a new step in their relationship, setting forward into forbidden territory. "Oh yeah. So it is, huh? I didn't realise."

"Yeah. Our one year anniversary. I can't believe it's been a whole year already. To think we've managed to keep it under wraps this long."

"It was really tough, trying to keep it secret." Rin went over to the bed and flopped down on her back, staring up at the ceiling. "I miss being able to just come over to your room and do stuff. We haven't done you know what in forever."

Rin heard Kyousuke sigh. "Yeah. But, you know, it won't be too long before you graduate. You'll be able to come and live with me, and we can do whatever we want. It will be great."

"Mmm." A smile spread over Rin's face. "I can't wait. Oh, but then I won't be able to see Riki and everyone else every day anymore. That kinda sucks. Hmm. It's troublesome, isn't it. I'll be with you every day, but everyone else won't be there. It would be the total opposite."

"I guess so." There was a hint of sadness in Kyousuke's voice. "But at least we'll have each other."

"Yeah..."

"Well, good to hear you're all doing okay. I'll try to come down and see you all sometime. I love you."

"I love you too. Bye." With that, the call was cut off.

Rin clutched the phone to her chest, curling up and closing her eyes. What wouldn't she give to have Kyousuke's arms embracing her and to be able to bury her face in his chest right now, but it was impossible. She was just going to have to wait until the day they could be together again.


	8. Family

"I don't get it," Rin murmured. She had her head rested on Kyousuke's shoulder as she snuggled up to him.

"Hm? You don't get what?" Kyousuke peered at her face, seeing her creased forehead and pursed lips.

"Is it really so bad, family members being in love with each other? People think it's creepy and stuff, don't they?"

"Yeah, I know." Kyousuke exhaled heavily. They couldn't breathe a word of what they were doing to anyone, not even to their closest friends. If they did, it would all be over and he couldn't bear that. The risk of destroying friendships was too great. "Don't worry about it, Rin." He brought a hand to her head, gently stroking her hair.

"I wish we could just tell everyone and it would be fine, you know?"

"I know."

Rin fell silent, deep in thought. "What a troublesome situation we're in. Because we're family, we're not allowed to do this sort of thing with each other, so we've gotta keep it secret. It's such a terrible trouble."

"Mmm."

"You know... I am glad that you are my big brother, though. Even if you can be an idiot at times."

Kyousuke snorted, a smile showing on his face. "Yeah, sure. And I'm glad to have a cute little sister like you."

"Uuu..." Rin's cheeks flared and she hid her face. "Shut up, dummy."


	9. Ridicule

The timing couldn't have been any worse. Of all the days for Kyousuke and Rin to be caught and their scandalous secret exposed, it had to be the day before Kyousuke was to graduate. He had no choice but to go on and graduate, even while the news of the two siblings committing incest was spreading through the school like wildfire.

Every day, Rin had to put up with the ridicule. People were looking at her, whispering all sorts of things and laughing. She even found notes in her locker, telling her what a sick brocon she was. No matter where she went, people stared and made comments.

Things had gotten awkward between her and the rest of the group. While they weren't completely ignoring her, there was an awkwardness that had definitely not been there before. Riki had barely spoken to her ever since the secret was out and that was the worst thing of all. No matter how much she apologised, he never seemed to want to hear it.

Never before had Rin just felt so utterly and completely lone.

One lunch break, she went to the roof, knowing that hardly anyone went there. Rin wasn't surprised to find Komari in her usual spot.

"Oh, Rin-chan." Komari saw the tears on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Is it okay if I eat here?" Rin asked in a choked voice.

"Of course it is!" Komari beamed. "Come and sit." She patted the spot next to her, and Rin seated herself down. "So, what's the matter?"

"Everything," Rin said dully, staring at the bread roll in her hands. She barely even felt like eating. "Riki hates me. Everyone thinks I'm a freak."

"I'm sure Riki-kun doesn't hate you." Komari gazed up at the sky with a pensive expression. "He's just very hurt right now, isn't he? He couldn't believe that you and Kyousuke-san had been doing all that behind our backs. I'm sure he will come round in time. You are his precious friend after all."

"Really?" Rin sniffed, a fresh tear streaking from her eye. "I don't get it. Why does he have to be like this? Why is everyone being so cruel? I couldn't help it. My feelings for Kyousuke just changed out of nowhere. I wanted it. He wanted it. So we..."

"Love is a funny thing, isn't it?" Komari smiled sadly. "You can't always choose who you fall in love with, I suppose. I think as long as you are happy, then that's all that matters. You were happy with Kyousuke-san, weren't you?"

"Mmm." Rin nodded. "It was nice." She turned her luminous eyes toward Komari. "Komari-chan... you don't think I'm weird, do you?"

"Of course not." Komari placed her hands on Rin's, gently squeezing them, and she put on the biggest smile. "Rin-chan, you are my precious best friend and nothing would ever change that. I don't think you're weird at all. You just happened to fall in love with your brother, that was all."

"Komari-chan..." Rin's voice cracked and she hung her head. "Thank you..." she gasped out, bursting into sobs. "I'm so glad. Someone doesn't think I'm a freak."

"Rin-chan." Komari flung her arms around her in a tight hug. "Hang in there. I'm sure things will look up eventually. You just have to be strong. I'm sure you can do it, and just remember, I'm on your side, no matter what, okay? So do your best to smile, Rin-chan."

As they broke apart, Rin was smiling shakily even as tears continued to pour down her face. "Thanks. I feel a bit better now." She reached up to wipe her eyes.

"Good. Would you like a sweet bun?" Komari held one out to her.

Rin gratefully took the bun and chewed, gazing out at the horizon. Maybe Komari was right, if she waited, things would begin to look up. She just had to believe.


	10. Acceptance

Kyousuke couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the name displayed on the screen of his cell phone. After the initial rush of joy and excitement, he tried to reason with himself, telling himself it could just have been a misdialed number. That was probably the most likely reason. Right?

Despite his misgivings, he answered the call and held the phone to his ear.

"Hello. Riki, is that really you?"

There was a long moment in which all he could hear was breathing. He hadn't hung up. That was probably a good sign. Kyousuke swallowed, trying to moisten his dry mouth as he waited for Riki to speak.

"Kyousuke?"

It had been so long since he heard that voice. An unbidden rush of tears sprang to his eyes.

"It's been a long time," Kyousuke said, struggling to keep his voice steady.

"Yeah."

An awkward silence followed.

"So, er, what's up?" Kyousuke asked finally. "This isn't just a social call, is it?" He thought back to the last time he had ever spoken to Riki. Riki had made it quite clear at the time that he never wanted to speak to Kyousuke ever again. He had told him in no uncertain terms that he hated him and thought he was sick.

Riki hadn't spoken to Rin since that day either.

Riki drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I miss you."

"Huh?"

"You and Rin, I miss both of you. I said such horrible things on that day. I was hurt and angry. I couldn't believe it, that the two of you had been carrying on behind our backs, keeping it a secret..."

"I know. I would hardly have expected you to accept it."

"To be honest, I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around it. But, in spite of it all, I miss you. I want to talk to you again. Do you think you could forgive me?"

"There's nothing you need to be forgiven for."

"What?" Riki sounded stunned. "But I said all those awful things and I even ended up hitting you. How can you say that?"

"You were hurt, angry, confused... it was understandable."

"Kyousuke." Riki's voice became choked up. "Thank you. I don't deserve this. I was so sure you would hate me. It's all my fault, isn't it? Rin having to drop out of school and everything..."

"It isn't your fault."

"Yes, it is. If I hadn't been yelling like that, the whole school wouldn't have found out, and the way I was treating you guys after that, ignoring you both. I must have hurt Rin so much. I wish I could take it all back." Riki had started to sob in between words. "I felt so guilty after she left, but I couldn't bring myself to apologize for what I did. I wouldn't be surprised if she hated me."

"Riki, neither of us hate you. That's ridiculous. You did nothing wrong." Kyousuke exhaled, feeling a pang. He'd had no idea Riki had been feeling like this the whole time and he felt bad for it. How much suffering had been caused all because of the decision he and Rin had made on that fateful day? "I never thought I would ever hear from you ever again. It would be wonderful if we could be friends again."

"You really mean it?" Riki asked shakily.

"Of course I do. Why don't we meet up sometime, you, me and Rin?" Kyousuke paused. "Maybe even Masato and Kengo could come?"

There was a long pause. "Ah... well, maybe Masato would come, but I don't think Kengo would. He doesn't really approve. I could ask, but..."

"No, it's alright. I can hardly expect everyone to come around at the same time, if at all. I'm just happy that you finally reached out to me." Kyousuke smiled. "Rin is going to be so happy. She's really missed you all."

"Where is she?"

"She's gone for a walk. I'll tell her the good news when she gets back. Or you could call her."

"Hmm, maybe I will do that. Thank you so much, Kyousuke."

Why was Riki even thanking him? If anything, he was the one who should be giving thanks. They exchanged farewells, promising to talk later, and the call came to an end.

Kyousuke sank back into the cushion, joyful tears welling in his eyes. Ever since the day they were caught, everything had looked so bleak but now, finally, things are starting to look up a bit. He couldn't wait to see the look on his little sister's face when she came back.


	11. Playful

Rin hummed as she waved the bristlegrass from side to side, swishing it over the cats. Their heads turned from side to side in rapid motion, eyes tracking the bristlegrass's motion, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. One of them sprang up and latched its paws around her wrist.

"Hey, hey!" Rin frowned at the cat, gently shaking it off. "That's cheating."

The second she had shaken the cat off, another cat decided to walk over to her ponytail and latch onto it. 

"No, come on, stop that. No climbing on me." Despite her scolding, Rin was laughing a little.

Kyousuke was watching her from the walkway, leaning on the wall as he rested his chin in one hand. He had a gentle smile on his face as he watched her play with her beloved cats. Seeing Rin enjoying herself and being happy brought him so much contentment. 

He hoped that this playful side of her who revelled in playing with cats would never be lost.


	12. Sex

Rin's breath came out loud and laboured through her parted lips, her chest rising and falling with each pant. Her slender body stretched out, back arched and hips bouncing. A rosy hue bloomed in her cheeks as she looked down at him, not breaking the gaze for even a second. There was no doubt nor hesitation to be found within those round ruby eyes, eyes the same colour as his own. They had already accepted that this was something they wanted to do together, blood be damned.

Kyousuke's hand came up to Rin's cheek, his fingers finding a deep warmth radiating from her flesh. He reached further up, pushing back the damp strands of hair clinging to her skin. An impassioned moan reached his ear. There had been a time when he could never have imagined hearing such sounds coming from his little sister nor seeing faces like the one she was making right now. Some days, it still felt like a dream to him. 

With all her energy spent, Rin let out a long exhale and sank down on top of him. They basked in each other's warmth, panting in unison. 

Rin held on to her brother as she rested her cheek against his chest, eyes closed tight. Kyousuke's arms wrapped around her slender body, holding her in a gentle embrace. Their bodies tingled with the euphoria of sharing a blessed experience, one meant for the two of them only. 

"It feels so good."

"Yeah. It really does."

"So why is it wrong for us to do this?"

Kyousuke couldn't think of an answer to that question. Rather than say anything, he just brought his hand to her head and stroked his fingers over her damp hair. Rin turned her head up to meet his reassuring gaze and saw his gentle smile which served to fill her with further warmth.


	13. Kink

Kyousuke and Rin lay together beneath the sheets, their heaving bodies glistening with sweat. They basked in each other's warmth with their limbs intertwined, revelling in the satisfaction that came from another session of making love.

"Hey, Kyousuke." Rin propped herself up to get a view of her brother's face.

"Mmm?" Kyousuke looked at her questioningly.

Rin was quiet for a moment, looking as if she was deeply concentrating on something. Finally, she spoke. "Do you have any kinks?"

Kyousuke stared blankly at her, taking a moment to comprehend what she had said. Then he made an incredulous sound. "Just where did you even hear that word?"

"Oh, Kurugaya mentioned it while us girls were hanging out together. She said it was about things people liked to do during sex, and she even mentioned all sorts of weird stuff."

Kyousuke let out a groan. "Honestly, that woman. Is she out to destroy everyone's innocence?" Then he realised he had no room to talk, seeing as he was the one who had deflowered his own little sister and was still doing the dirty with her on a regular basis.

"I thought it was kind of interesting, but it was a bit odd. Like, she said people were into all sorts of weird stuff." Rin frowned. "Are you into any weird things, Kyousuke?"

Kyousuke smiled wryly at her. "I'm banging my own little sister, I think that definitely tops the weird scale."

"Oh, yeah." Rin tilted her head. "So I guess that means you have a little sister kink, right?"

"I... don't think that's considered a kink, Rin."

"It's not?" Rin flopped down on Kyousuke. "Hmm, this stuff is complicated. I don't get it at all."

Kyousuke made an amused sound and stroked her hair. "Well, it's not like you need to. Don't worry about it."


	14. Library

"Aren't you done yet?"

Rin traversed along the aisle between two rows of shelves stuffed with books, heaving a great sigh as she approached her older brother. She came to a stop and cast an annoyed glare in his direction.

Kyousuke briefly glanced at her, noticing the comic she had clutched to her chest. There was a cat depicted on the cover, a fact that came as no surprise to him. He turned his attention back to the rows of manga. "Sorry, I'm just having a hard time finding something new."

"You read too much manga." Rin's ponytail swung with a shake of her head. She turned to one of the shelves and scanned the rows of manga volumes. "Eh? What the heck kind of title is this?" With a perplexed look, she pulled it out and read the back, raising an eyebrow.

Kyousuke caught sight of the title. That was one he was familiar with, a manga about a guy who couldn't believe how cute his little sister was. "Oh yeah, I've read that one." 

Rin gave him a strange look as she slid the manga back onto the shelf. 

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad!"

Despite his protests, she didn't seem entirely convinced. Rin turned around and walked away, throwing a disturbed glance at him over her shoulder.

Great, now his own little sister thought that he was a weirdo. So what if he read manga about protagonists with little sisters? Was that so bad? Even if he happened to have a cute little sister of his own? None of those little sisters could ever begin to compare to his own.

Come to think of it, was thinking like that even normal in the first place? Kyousuke let out an exasperated sigh, deciding to give up on his search for manga, and hurried after Rin.


	15. Shopping Mall

Kyousuke and Rin made their way through the crowd of people, hands joined together as they stepped into the shopping mall. It wasn't very often they went into a place like this. Rin was looking around in amazement, eyes shining and a bright smile fixed on her face.

"I wonder if they have a pet shop here?" Rin looked up at her brother. "Maybe I can buy lots of things for the cats. You know, I've kind of been wanting to buy a cat tree. Do you think we could get one?"

Did she ever think about anything other than cats? Well, Kyousuke was probably not one to talk, seeing as he was looking forward to finding out what manga he could get from the bookstore.

How much did a cat tree even cost anyway? As much as he would have liked to indulge her, they couldn't go too crazy with spending. They had come here for clothes after all, and he had hoped to have a little left over for buying manga. Anyway, he hadn't even seen a pet store last time he was here so he doubted he could even get her one.

"Sorry, but I don't think they even have a pet shop here, Rin."

"Oh." Rin looked downcast. "That's too bad."

"Maybe we can get a cat tree online. You can get all sorts of things from the Internet, you know." Wait, should he really have told her that?

"Hmm." Rin frowned. "I don't know much about this Internet. Maybe you could do it for me."

Oh right, Rin wasn't really the best at technology after all. It had been hard enough for her to master her cellphone, she was still quite a ways from figuring out the mysteries of the Internet. At the very least, she could watch cat videos. Kyousuke was always seeing recommendations for cat videos, no matter what else he watched. It was something he had just come to accept, along with the myriad of cats cluttering the apartment.

They walked through the mall, looking through the shop windows as they passed.

Kyousuke stopped for a moment, catching sight of a mannequin festooned with a maid outfit. On the head was a frilly headpiece complete with cat ears.

"Huh, what is it?" Rin had stopped as well, looking perplexed.

Could he get Rin to wear something like this? Kyousuke side-eyed her, instantly deciding that it was impossible. There was no way she would ever do it. What a pity. Anyway, he was pretty sure he couldn't afford it in the first place.

"Nothing." Kyousuke flashed her an innocent smile. "Let's keep going." He resumed walking, his mind filled with the image of Rin wearing a maid outfit complete with cat ears. What a pity that would never be reality.


	16. Bathroom

One evening, Kyousuke had suggested that he and Rin take a bath together. The suggestion had come completely out of the blue and left her flummoxed, but after getting over the initial awkwardness and giving it some thought, Rin had decided to go ahead with it. 

Even in all the time they had been dating, this was the first time they had gone into the bathroom together like this. After showering and soaping each other, the two of them slipped into the bath, relishing the feeling of the hot water on their skin.

Kyousuke embraced Rin from behind, wrapping his arms around her slender frame in a firm hold. Their bodies pressed together, flesh rubbing against flesh. Kyousuke mashed his lips against the crook of Rin's neck, kissing her soft skin. One hand crept up to her chest, cupping the bottom of one of her small, round breasts.

A moan issued from Rin's throat and she closed her eyes, her mouth curving in a smile.

"It feels good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Rin's lips parted to let out a sigh and she tipped her head back, letting her body go limp as she sagged against Kyousuke. The two siblings remained embracing, basking in the steam and the radiant warmth of each other's bodies.


	17. Food

Kyousuke and Rin sat at opposite sides of the table in the corner of a restaurant, with a platter of sushi between them. Kyousuke picked up a roll with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. As he chewed on his food, he watched Rin eating her own food. There was a small, white grain stuck to her cheek.

Kyousuke reached out to brush it off. Rin jolted at the touch of his thumb against her skin, giving him a questioning look.

"You had some rice on your face." Kyousuke looked at the grain of rice, then popped it into his own mouth.

"Uwah?!" Rin's face flared bright red. "Don't do such embarrassing things!"

Seriously? She was embarrassed over something like this? Even after they had already done all sorts of things together? Kyousuke smiled in bemusement.

"Geez." Rin rubbed a fist over her mouth, frowning slightly.

"The food is good, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

Kyousuke rested his chin in one hand, smiling as he watched Rin deftly use the chopsticks to bring roll after roll to her mouth. For a moment, he thought about actually using the chopsticks to feed her himself but quickly dismissed the thought. Not only would Rin find the idea far too embarrassing to even contemplate, they did have to behave themselves in public. It wasn't that hard for people to tell that they were siblings.

Rin froze with a roll in mid-air, giving Kyousuke a puzzled look. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing." Kyousuke averted his gaze and quickly resumed eating.

"Okay," Rin said slowly, returning her attention to her food.


	18. Motorbike

Rin clung on for dear life, her arms wrapped tightly around her brother's body. Her ears filled with the roar of the motorbike's engine. The wind was whipping furiously at the two siblings, battering against their helmets. Kyousuke firmly gripped the handles, keeping his gaze on the winding road that traversed against the mountain. Soon enough, they reached the top and brought the motorbike to a halt.

"Phew." Kyousuke exhaled, relaxing his grip. Unfastening his helmet, he took a look around at their surroundings. There was nobody else around, a fact that he was just fine with. The more privacy the two of them had, the better. He looked over his shoulder at Rin, who had let go of him and was breathing heavily. "How was it?"

Rin looked at him, blinking furiously. "It was kinda scary."

Kyousuke could have figured as much from the way she was holding on to him. It had been a wonder that he was still able to breathe.

"But... I guess it was still kinda fun too." Rin smiled.

"Good to hear. Well then, shall we go check out the view?"

Rin fumbled with her helmet, pulling it off and shaking her hair free. They got off the motorbike and joined hands, walking side by side to the edge of the mountain where they gazed out at the distant scenery. It had definitely been worth the trip.


	19. Car

Kyousuke heard a sigh and glanced to the side. The displeasure on his little sister's face was clear as day. Her arms were folded to her chest and she was glaring straight ahead. He turned his attention back to the road, gripping the steering wheel as he guided the car to its destination.

"Not much further now."

"That's what you said ten minutes ago," Rin replied in a sulky tone. "You really sure?"

"Yeah, of course. We are definitely going the right way this time."

"Honestly." Rin shook her head. She glanced out of the window, watching the trees zip by. "So typical of you, going and getting lost."

"Oh, come on, surely I'm not that bad."

"You totally are. Such a hopeless big brother."

Kyousuke put on a look of mock dismay. "What a cruel and merciless little sister I have."

"Well, I'm just telling it like it is." Rin paused. "Even if you are hopeless and an idiot, I'm still glad you're my big brother."

"Uh... thanks, I think. Oh, look, here we are." Kyousuke slowed the car down and took the turn leading to the destination. "See, I'm not that hopeless after all."

"Hmm." Rin seemed to be considering it. "I dunno, I think you might still be a little hopeless sometimes. Remember when you kept getting lost during all those job hunts?"

"I didn't even have a car then," Kyousuke protested, bringing the car into a parking spot. He cut the engine. "Honestly, there's no winning with you, is there?" he added, a wry smile showing on his face. "Alright, you ready?"

"Yup," Rin responded, with a smile of her own.


	20. Park

Kyousuke and Rin walked hand in hand along the beaten track that took them through the empty park. Other than their footsteps, all they could hear was the chirping of crickets. Their eyes fixed directly on the horizon, taking in the deep purple hue surrounding the setting sun. The summer heat hung thick and heavy over the two siblings.

"Shall we go on the swings?"

It was a while before Rin responded. "Yeah, sure." Her tone suggested she wasn't really all that interested but she went over with him anyway and seated herself on a swing.

They swung back and forth in silence. After a few minutes, Rin stopped. She looked solemn as her gaze swept over the isolated park.

"We're the only ones here."

"Well, yeah," said Kyousuke. "It is getting late. Then again, I don't think this park gets a lot of activity anymore." It was clear enough from the overgrown grass and the dilapidated looking playground equipment. What a sad state of affairs indeed.

Rin sighed, hanging her head. "An empty part is kind of lonely, isn't it?" She released the chains and her arms dropped to her sides.

"I'm here, you know."

"Yeah. But I wish everyone else could be too."

Kyousuke reached out to take one of her hands in his. Neither of them spoke a word. They sat there, side by side, watching as the sun sank beyond the horizon.


	21. Date

In hindsight, Kyousuke really should have seen this coming. What on earth had he been thinking, expecting his little sister to come up with a normal answer when asking her where she would like to go on a date.

"A cat cafe," Rin had replied immediately without any hesitation. Kyousuke had stared at her in stunned silence for several seconds before dissolving into incredulous laughter. It was so like her, and yet so unexpected at the same time. Why on earth would she want to go to a cat cafe when she already had so many cats around her? Naturally, Rin had been unimpressed by his reaction and yelled at him before storming away, her cheeks puffed out in righteous indignation.

Well, no matter how ludicrous the request might have been, Kyousuke could hardly have said no to her. It wasn't that bad as far as date venues went, it was just that he failed to see the logic behind it. So he had gone after her and assured her that of course they could go, quickly restoring her good mood in the process.

Now here they were, sitting down in this quaint little cafe with countless cats surrounding them. Kyousuke watched as Rin stroked and cooed over them, a smile forming on his own face.

It really was kind of an odd place to be visiting for something like a date. Then again, the fact that the two of them dating was already kind of...

Kyousuke broke off the thought, giving his head a brisk shake. He shouldn't think like that. Those errant thoughts came to mind now and then, but he would quickly dismiss them. He wasn't going to have doubts about this, not now. Pushing all thoughts to the back of his mind, he focused on Rin, who was absorbed in playing with the cats, eyes lit up and lips spread in a wide smile.

Come to think of it, what kind of a date was this meant to be? Kyousuke had little experience with them, but he was pretty sure they weren't supposed to involve one half completely ignoring the other. Well, he should have seen it coming, especially when it involved cats. Kyousuke let out a mildly exasperated breath, putting his chin in his hand. It was fine, anyhow. Even just seeing Rin be happy was enough for him. He didn't need anything more than that.


	22. Setup

"Now this is quite the nice little set-up, isn't it?" Kyousuke's gaze swept around the area. They had managed to find a little clearing among the trees with ample space to spread out a blanket. The trees were far apart enough that they got a decent amount of sunshine, which made it even better.

"Yeah, this looks nice." Rin plopped down next to the basket. "I can't remember the last time we had a picnic. Hmm. Oh yeah, it must have been with everyone else."

"It was the weekend before I graduated, remember?" Kyousuke smiled at the memory. With that fond memory came a little pang of sadness however. How nice would it have been if everyone else could have been here, but this would have to be enough.

"We don't really get to do stuff like this very often, do we?" Rin murmured. "Not as much as we used to anyway. We used to do fun things all the time as well."

"Well, that's the downside of becoming an adult, isn't it?" Kyousuke sat down as well. "At least we're doing something now." He opened up the basket and removed the contents, setting out containers filled with sushi rolls, omelettes and rice, as well as a couple of flasks of water. "Mmm. I'm already hungry after that walk, aren't you?"

"Yup. Absolutely starving."

After all the food had been consumed, the two lay down side by side, smiling in contentment as they basked in the light of the sun.

"Mmm." Rin stretched herself out, yawning. She then rolled over to rest her head against Kyousuke, slinging an arm over him.

Kyousuke turned over slightly, reaching out to stroke her hair and kiss her forehead. He stayed like that, resting his lips against her warm skin, holding into her. It occurred to him they definitely wouldn't have been able to do this with anyone else around. Though he missed the days when they all used to hang out with each other, some alone time now and then wasn't too bad if they could have moments like this.


	23. Roleplay

Kyousuke walked out the door and closed it. He waited for a minute before turning around and walking back into the apartment. "I'm home!"

Rin stood before him, clutching onto a metal tray. Her cheeks were stained a bright scarlet. She dipped her head and blurted out, "Welcome home... m... ma..." Her voice faltered. "I can't say it, it's too embarrassing! Why are you making me do this? You're a demon, a demon!"

Yeah, Kyousuke should probably have seen this coming. Still, what else could he have done with the maid outfit someone had discarded? Of course he had thoroughly washed it and left out the truth about its origins when trying to persuade Rin.

When cats were involved, it was surprisingly easy to get Rin to agree to just about anything. Even putting on a maid outfit and role-playing as a maid. It seemed it just wasn't that easy for her, however.

"Well." Kyousuke exhaled, smiling in bemusement. "At least I got you to put it on and say 'welcome home', so that's something, I guess. I don't think you're ready to work in a maid cafe any time soon though."

"And I don't want to!" Rin exclaimed, looking annoyed. "Geez, why did I even agree to this? This is dumb." She hung her head.

"So, aren't you going to show me to my table?"

Rin gave him a withering look. "You know where the table is. Fine, fine." With an exasperated sigh, she made a gesture. "This way."

If Rin ever did get a job as a maid, she wouldn't be holding it for long, that was for sure. Kyousuke had to wonder if she would ever be capable of getting a job, but there was no need to worry about that just yet. He was able to support them both just fine so far.

Kyousuke went to sit at the table. Rin pulled a notepad and pen from her apron.

"What can I get you?" Her tone still sounded slightly sulky. She had all but given up on the role-play at this point.

"I'll have a three scoop Neapolitan sundae with wafers, whipped cream and chocolate flakes."

Rin blinked, looking incredulous. "Huh? Do we have anything like that?"

"It was a joke."

Rin narrowed her eyes, slowly breathing out.

"Okay, just get me a coffee. Milk, one sugar."

Muttering under her breath, Rin disappeared into the kitchen. She soon re-emerged, carrying the tray with a cup of coffee on it. Rin plonked the tray down and placed the cup in front of Kyousuke before sitting down herself, placing her chin in her hands.

Kyousuke lifted the cup to his lips, blowing on the steaming liquid before taking a sip. "Hm. Not bad."

"Yeah, well, it's just coffee." Rin raised an eyebrow. "Anyone can do it."

"You ought to try cooking something sometime."

"Hmm." Rin looked thoughtful. "I'll think about it."

"Alright. I'm already looking forward to it."

"I haven't even said I will yet! Sheesh." Rin pursed her lips. "So, I'm still getting the Mon Petit, right?"

"Of course you are." Kyousuke flashed her a reassuring smile. "After being so kind enough to put on a maid outfit for your wonderful big brother, you deserve a reward."

Rin's bell chimed as she shook her head, letting out a exasperated sigh. "Sometimes, I don't know why I bother going along with your games."

Kyousuke just chuckled, smiling as he took another sip of the coffee.


	24. Pregnancy

How could this have happened? 

Rin was standing perfectly still, staring down at the floor where the offending stick lay by her feet after it had slipped from her fingers. Her knees gave way, hitting the floor with a soft thump. She hunched over, shoulders slumping and head bowing.

"I'm pregnant," Rin whispered, her lips barely moving. "There's a baby inside of me."

Kyousuke's gaze shifted from Rin to the stick and back, his mouth frozen open. How he wanted to believe that this was a mistake. It didn't make any sense. He had been so careful, making sure to use a condom every time they made love and yet, somehow, against all odds, Rin was now with child. There was no question about it. It was his child as well.

He couldn't believe it. He had actually managed to impregnate his little sister despite all the precautions he took. Why did fate have to be so damn cruel?

"What are we going to do?" Rin turned her head up, dull eyes focusing right on him. "Why did this happen?"

"I don't know." Kyousuke hung his head. "Maybe a condom broke." He slowly clenched his fists, grinding his teeth. Right now, he felt so angry at himself. It might have been an accident but still, it was entirely his fault. He was the one who had done this to his little sister. That baby was inside of her all because of him.

This never should have happened. That baby was a product of siblings. It could end up having defects. They had never intended to bring another life into this world together. This was just beyond messed up.

"So, what do we do?" Rin's voice was flat, devoid of emotion.

Kyousuke moved over and knelt down to hug Rin. "It's your choice, not mine."

"What?" Rin's eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?"

"You are the one who should decide. I'm not going to force you to make a choice."

Rin looked away, her lips pursing in a frown. "That's not fair. You're the one who went and put it in me."

"Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?" Kyousuke stroked her hair. "Sorry. I was so careful. I have no idea how this could have happened."

"So, what should I do?" Rin asked in a wobbly voice. "I just don't know."

"We have plenty of time to think about it." Kyousuke tightened his hold on her, resting his cheek against her head. "I'm sure we'll figure it out as we go."

"Okay," Rin whispered.


	25. Reality

"I'm alone, if you want to come over."

It wasn't too long after he sent the text that Rin came. She entered the room and leaned against the door with her hands behind her back, eyeing him with head bowed and cheeks flushed.

"Hey." Kyousuke rose from the bed and came over to her. He gently grasped her chin and tipped her head up, then leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

A faint sound issued from Rin's throat. 

Kyousuke pulled away, looking into her eyes. She had a dreamy look and her lips twitched at the corners. He pressed his lips to hers once more, letting them linger for a moment. When he drew back, he reached out to lock the door.

"You made sure nobody saw you come, right?" Kyousuke had already cautioned her, but it didn't hurt to make absolutely sure.

"Of course I did." Rin frowned. "You keep telling me to be careful, to make sure nobody sees us and stuff. It's like we're ninjas having to sneak around or something. Is it really such a big deal if I'm seen coming to your room? Nobody's going to care."

"Still, we've got to be careful, Rin. If we were found out, it would be really bad, you know. That's reality." Kyousuke cupped her face, running his thumb over her cheek. "I don't even want to think about what would happen if we were caught."

"Okay, okay, I get it already. You don't have to keep lecturing me." Rin's forehead creased and she pursed her lips. "So... are we gonna do it then?"

"Sure. My roommate isn't going to be back for a while so we're safe." Kyousuke stepped back. "You ready?"

"Ready as ever."

And so, the act of lovemaking began. Neither of them hesitated as they made love to each other, but deep down Kyousuke couldn't help thinking about it.

Their being siblings was not a fact they could simply ignore. Society would never approve of them being together. And yet, because of these feelings they harboured for each other, they carried out these sinful acts behind closed doors.

Rin's face flushed with pleasure brought on by his exploration of forbidden crevices, her moans resounding in his ears. Even as he was plundering territories that should have been barred to him, Kyousuke felt no remorse.

They wanted it, no matter the pain that it could end up bringing to them, and they would defy reality for as long as possible.


	26. Fantasy

"Siblings can't get married to each other, right?" Rin lifted her head from her hands, turning her inquisitive gaze toward her brother.

Kyousuke looked up from the manga he was reading, brow furrowing as he looked at her without saying anything. Finally, he gave a sigh before speaking. "No, I don't believe that they can. But at least it's not illegal for us to date in this country." He was well aware that, should they have been living in other countries, their relationship would have been that much more risky. He continued to look at Rin, feeling a slight pang. Could it be that she was wishing to have a wedding at some point? It was a nice fantasy, but there was no way it could happen for them.

"I see." Rin rested her head back on her hands and closed her eyes. "I suppose that's kind of a pity."

Kyousuke hung his head, not sure what he should say. Even though this had been just as much as Rin's choice as his, he couldn't help feeling a bit guilty. Life was ever so troublesome, setting up all these obstacles just because they had made a choice frowned upon by society.

"But I guess I wouldn't be able to have my dream wedding anyway."

"Huh?"

"I mean, I would want everyone else to come too, and I would also want to be surrounded by lots of cats, but that might be kind of difficult. Do you think it's possible?"

"Probably. You can get married pretty much wherever you like, but still..."

"Hm. I still don't think I'd want to do it without Riki and the others there anyway. But we've got to keep this a secret anyway. So I guess it wouldn't really be possible after all. Anyway, I don't need a wedding. I'm happy whether we have one or not."

"Okay, that's good to hear." Kyousuke smiled in relief, turning his attention back to the manga. It did sound nice, having a wedding, but Rin did make a good point. He wouldn't have wanted to do it without their friends there either.


	27. Betrayal

Rin rested limply against Kyousuke as they sat on his bed. He rested his cheek on her face, stroking her long hair. This was different to their usual meetings conducted in secret. After yesterday, everything had changed.

Kyousuke thought back to that moment, remembering the look of horror and betrayal on Riki's face, and a lump formed in his throat. He couldn't stop thinking about it, that pained look on his best friend's face. Kyousuke had never wanted to hurt anyone.

"Did we do something wrong?" Rin's voice broke the suffocating silence hanging over both of them.

Kyousuke pondered it for a moment. Maybe according to society, yes, they had indeed done something wrong. It might not have been outright illegal, but it was still somewhat taboo. Still, he didn't want to think of what they had been doing as wrong in any way. "No," he said finally, "we didn't do anything wrong. We fell in love, and chose this path even knowing what the consequences could be."

"Now Riki hates us," Rin murmured. "I wish he hadn't had to find out what we were doing."

"I know." Kyousuke heaved a great sigh. "We screwed up." He almost thought it might have been better if they had never done any of this in the first place, but he forced back those ill thoughts before they could take root in his mind. He had known what he was doing from the start, he wasn't going to regret it now. "Rin, you don't regret any of this, do you?"

Rin shook her head. "I liked it. Doing all this stuff with each other. You might be my idiot brother, but I still really enjoyed it." Her body tensed. "Now that Riki knows, are we going to have to stop doing this stuff?"

"It's already done. Even if we stopped now, what would it matter? He already knows, and even if others find out, so what? We're not doing anything illegal. Nobody can stop us." Kyousuke swallowed, forming back the lump in his throat. "But... it's true people are going to judge us for it. That was why I wanted it to be kept secret in the first place. Who knows what we'll have to deal with if it gets out."

"I don't want to stop." Rin's voice wobbled. "I like you. I like doing all the things we've been doing together, so I don't want any of it to end. Even if Riki's mad at us... I still don't want it to be over."

"And it doesn't have to be." Kyousuke coiled his arms around her trembling body and pressed his lips to hers. "We'll keep on going no matter what, if that's what you want."

Rin nodded. "I do."

"Well then." Kyousuke smiled. "Let's keep going."


	28. Kiss

Kyousuke's heart slammed against his ribcage, over and over in a perpetual motion. The thundering roar of surging blood filled his ears, drowning out all sound. He could see Rin's lips move as she looked at him, eyebrows raising. How could she appear so casual about this?

It was going to change everything between them. He kept staring into those round, red eyes of hers, swallowing and struggling to moisten his rapidly drying mouth. This was his own little sister standing before him, watching him and waiting for him to finally make the move.

Kyousuke parted his lips, drawing in a long breath.

There was still time.

They could turn back from this and pretend none of this happened, that neither of them had said the words that led to this, they could bury their feelings and go forth to a safer future where there was no risk.

And yet, the part of him wanted this was overpowering him, defying all common sense and driving him to place his hands on either side of her face. Rin gave a slight jolt at the touch of his warm flesh on her cheeks. Kyousuke exhaled and closed his eyes before he took the plunge.

Rin's lips were soft to the touch.

His little sister's lips. He was actually touching them with his own. The very thought almost made him pull away but he stopped himself from doing so. There was no turning back from this now. 

It had begun.

After a few seconds, Kyousuke pulled back and looked intently at Rin's face, studying her features. Her lips were parted slightly and her eyes half closed. A rosy hue bloomed in her cheeks. 

"That felt nice." Rin brought a finger to her lips.

"It did," Kyousuke felt a brief flash of shame. Was he wrong for doing this to his own little sister, for daring to enjoy forbidden contact with her body? He quickly buried the thought. "So... shall I do it again?"

Rin nodded, her smile growing wider. "Yeah."

Kyousuke went in for another, savouring the kiss for what felt like a long, long time. 

This was their future now. A future filled with risk and the possibility of pain. Who knew what hardships lay in store for them?

But he wasn't going to worry about that.

They were going to enjoy what they had now.


	29. Death

Kyousuke was abruptly jolted from his sleep. It didn't take long to realise the cause. A warm and heavy presence was pressing up against him. The sound of soft, irregular breathing reached his ears.

"Rin?" Kyousuke whispered. He moved his hand to her trembling body, resting it on her back.

"I had a bad dream. It was about the bus accident." Rin burrowed closer, burying her head in Kyousuke's chest. "I dreamed it blew up before we could do anything and everyone was..." Her voice trailed off.

It had been a long time since that day, and it still haunted Kyousuke sometimes too. He had come so close to death, believed that a future in which he might live was inevitable and done his best to prepare Riki and Rin for a world in which they would only have each other. Fortunately, that future had been averted, but he never forgot how lucky he was to be here right now.

"It's alright." Kyousuke kissed Rin's forehead and stroked her hair. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

"It was scary." Rin's fingers clutched at his clothing. "I don't want to lose you, not ever. I would hate it if you were gone. You'll always be with me, won't you?"

"Of course I will."

"Good." There was a long pause. "Is it okay if I stay like this?"

"Sure." Kyousuke's arm snaked around her slender body and he rested his chin against her head, closing his eyes. Soon enough, both of them had drifted off into a comfortable sleep.


	30. Life

Rin lay spread across the couch, head resting on Kyousuke's lap. Kyousuke was staring straight ahead at the television while he stroked Rin's head. It might have been a peaceful scene had it not been for all the meowing cats prowling around.

Still, in spite of the cats, it wasn't such a bad life, Kyousuke thought, living together with his little sister. They were both enjoying it thoroughly, far more than some people might have guessed. At home, they were free to do all sorts of things behind closed doors without fear of ever being caught.

Still, his mind kept flashing back to that conversation he'd had with Riki over the phone earlier.

"I wonder if you will ever get a girlfriend, or if Rin will ever get a boyfriend."

It had been a perfectly innocent comment. Riki had no idea of their situation, of course. Kyousuke doubted that he ever would figure out what was going on between the two siblings.

But it had brought up a very good point.

As the years went by, as the two continued to live together, neither of them ever publicly dating, were people going to start wondering?

Kyousuke looked down at Rin. She seemed so happy and contented. He wondered if she would always be in love with him. Maybe one day, her feelings would change, or it would be his own. Love was a fickle thing after all.

Rin turned her head, catching his gaze. "Hm, what is it?"

"Nothing." Kyousuke smiled. He turned his attention back to the television.

There was no point in worrying about the future, he told himself. It was better to just enjoy the now while they still had it.


	31. Birth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **CW: Stillbirth**

Kyousuke sat with his arms in his lap, shoulders hunched over and head hung low. He could hardly bear to look at Rin as she sat up in the bed, gazing ahead with dull eyes. She hadn't said a word since the birth. Kyousuke tried to think of something, anything to say to her, but what use was it? Only time would help her to overcome the grief.

Maybe they should never have gone along with it after all. Of course he had his doubts, fearing the side effects of an incestuous union, but he hadn't been expecting this. The image of a tiny blue face floated to the front of his mind. No matter how much time went by, he could never forget that horrifying sight.

Kyousuke's eyes prickled and a lump swelled in his throat. "Dammit," he hissed through gritted teeth, placing a hand on his forehead. He couldn't cry, not now. Rin was depending on him. He had to be strong. 

"Kyousuke."

Kyousuke's head shot up, his gaze meeting Rin's.

"Was this meant to be a punishment?" Her voice quivered as she forced the words through her lips. "Was God punishing us for doing something we weren't supposed to?"

Kyousuke lowered his head, slowly shaking it from side to side. It certainly did feel like fate was punishing them for breaking a taboo. Of course, it had just been bad luck. This could have happened to anyone. 

"No. It was just fate. We lost our baby. The fact we happened to be brother and sister had nothing to do with it."

"Really?" Rin turned her head away, doubt creating lines in her forehead.

"Really. We just got unlucky."

Rin's head dipped and she let out a sigh. "Fate is so cruel."

"Yeah, I know."

"I was kinda scared in the beginning. I didn't know what to do. But then I was thinking maybe it wouldn't be too bad, that we could handle it and then... and then this happened." Rin's eyes welled up. "I don't get it."

Kyousuke got up and went over to embrace Rin. She leaned into him, shoulders shaking and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I don't want to do this again," Rin whispered. "I don't ever want another baby inside me."

"Okay."

"Will it happen again? Even though we were being so careful, I still got pregnant."

"I'll get a vasectomy." A part of Kyousuke wished he had just got one in the first place, but he couldn't say that to her. "That way, we won't have to worry. Okay?" He kissed her forehead, one thought at the front of his mind:

He never wanted to see Rin be sad ever again.


	32. Child

While the siblings were on one of their shopping trips, Kyousuke had decided to pop into the anime store. Leaving Rin to look around, he had popped into the adult section. As he was browsing the rows of anime dvds, he heard an unexpected voice.

"So you really are a pervert after all."

"Rin?!" Kyousuke exclaimed, whirling around with a surprised look. "What are you doing back here?"

"Is there a reason I can't be?" Rin regarded him haughtily, folding her arms.

"Well, I mean, this is the adult section and you don't like perverted stuff, don't you?"

"Hmph. I'm not a child anymore. I can go wherever I like." Rin held her head high. "I don't get it. Why do guys like this perverted stuff? It's weird."

Kyousuke laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, well, of course you wouldn't understand. It's a guy thing after all." He moved on, hoping she would wander off and go somewhere else. Browsing adult things while his little sister was standing right there was kind of uncomfortable.

"Hmm." In spite of his wishes, Rin was following him anyway with a curious expression.

"Uh, Rin? What are you doing?"

Rin shrugged. "Just curious. Maybe I want to know what kind of stuff my pervert brother is into."

"Can you please stop calling me a pervert?" Kyousuke walked around to the other side of the shelf, looking mildly exasperated. It was kind of painful to hear his own little sister calling him a pervert. He was a completely normal guy. Absolutely normal.

Kyousuke averted his gaze from the lolicon titles. He couldn't risk it, not now of all times. The title displayed on one of the boxes caught his eye. 'My little sister is just too cute and I can't keep my hands off!' it read. Against all judgement, he found himself pulling it out and reading the back. Kyousuke was so absorbed in what he was doing that he didn't hear Rin approach.

"Oh. So that's the sort of thing you like."

"Ack!" Kyousuke almost dropped it in his panic. "No... I was just looking, that was all!"

"Really?" Rin raised an eyebrow.

"Really!" Kyousuke's face burned red. Great, now Rin was probably going to think him a freak and avoid him for the rest of his life. How could he ever go on like this, being treated as an outcast by his own little sister?

"Hmm." Rin's gaze was drawn to the box. Kyousuke hastily tried to stick it back on the shelf. "Wait."

"Huh?" Kyousuke froze, looking at her in confusion.

"Why don't we watch it together?"

"What?" Kyousuke spluttered. He wasn't sure he had heard her right. "What, this? Are you serious?"

"Sure." Rin's face was blank. She really didn't seem to be kidding. "I want to see the stuff you like too."

Kyousuke looked at the box, then back to her, his jaw hanging open. "Rin, you do realise that this is hentai, right? It's perverted stuff."

"Yes, I know. I'm not an idiot." Rin's expression turned annoyed.

"Well... okay," Kyousuke said slowly. "But don't say I didn't warn you." His face was burning as he went to the counter, praying that the clerk wouldn't realise the girl with him was his own little sister. Fortunately, the clerk didn't comment or give him any odd looks. 

That evening, Kyousuke and Rin sat together on the couch in front of the television. Kyousuke had already loaded the DVD into the player and was about to press 'Start' on the remote.

"You are absolutely sure about this, Rin? You can still back out."

"Of course I'm sure. Just get on with it already."

"Fine." Kyousuke hit the button.

Not once during the movie did Rin make a sound. Kyousuke would glance at her every so often and find her utterly riveted, her eyes glued to the screen. He couldn't believe it. Riin was actually watching this stuff alongside him.

The credits soon rolled and Kyousuke switched it off. "Well, how was it?" He peered at Rin, noticing the rosy hue in her cheeks.

"Uh... it was kind of hot."

"Hot?" Kyousuke repeated.

"Mmm." Rin nodded. "It made me hot to trot."

Kyousuke let out a loud splutter. "Um. Okay. Cool."

"Hey... Kyousuke..." Rin turned her head to look at him. "Do you find me cute?"

"Well, er..." Kyousuke blinked. Yes, he did think Rin was cute. It was okay to think his little sister was cute, wasn't it? Still, he wasn't sure if he should be admitting it directly to her. What on earth had gotten into her, making her ask such a question? It was so unexpected coming from her.

"Yeah?" Rin crawled up to him, putting her face close.

Kyousuke couldn't help but be aware of how so very close she was. He leaned back, swallowing thickly. Was it just his imagination or was his face getting hot? "Uh... well..." On second thoughts, telling her she wasn't would probably be just insulting. "I suppose you are kind of cute."

"Really?" Rin looked thoughtful. "Then, does that mean you like me?"

"Um... uh..." Really, where was all this coming from? As Kyousuke was struggling to make sense of all this, Rin's face loomed closer and he felt something soft and wet touch his lips. No way. It couldn't be.

Rin was actually kissing him?

Rin drew back, her face turning even redder.

"Rin." Kyousuke touched his lips, looking at her with consternation. "Why did you do that?"

"Hmm. I guess I wanted to see what it would be like." Rin averted her gaze. "Didn't you like it?"

Kyousuke was too shocked to even think. Rin had kissed him. His own little sister had kissed him. His cute little sister. His face grew even hotter and the roaring of blood filled his ears. His heart beat rapidly against his chest. "Um... ah..."

How could he admit that he had liked it? Wait, what was he thinking? He wasn't allowed to admit such things! Not about his own little sister! But he couldn't help wishing... no, no, no, it was forbidden. It was a sin. He couldn't do it.

"Rin... don't tell me, you actually... like me?" Kyousuke choked out. It seemed insane, completely and utterly insane. How could Rin of all people actually...

Rin lowered her head, chewing her lower lip. "I know you're my idiot brother, but still... I wanted to do it. I wanted to kiss you. I want to do things like the brother and sister did in the movie. Is that really so wrong?"

Kyousuke's head was whirling. He could hardly make sense of what was happening. "I..." His heart pounded even more. Could he really do it? Cross into forbidden territory with his own little sister? He could feel Rin's hand brushing over his leg, creeping up. Every inch of him tingled with anticipation.

"Ah." Rin made a surprised sound, looking straight down. Her eyes met with Kyousuke's. "You want it too, don't you?"

Kyousuke swallowed, staring into her eyes. Yes. Even as a voice was screaming at him that it was forbidden, that this was a line he should never cross, he was consumed by desire. "Rin. Is this really what you want?"

"Uh huh." Rin nodded. There was no hesitation to be seen. Her eyes shone, bright and clear, full of lust.

Kyousuke reached a trembling hand out to touch Rin's cheek. He brushed his thumb against her flushed skin, caressing her cheek then moved his hand to the back of his head. Then, he brought his lips to hers in a deep, lingering kiss.

Never before had he ever dreamed of kissing Rin.

But here he was, kissing his own little sister, and it felt so good.

Rin's arms snaked around Kyousuke and she kissed back, fiercely mashing her lips into his. Kyousuke sank back onto the couch, pulling Rin against him. In the moment, neither of them cared that they were brother and sister. They just wanted it.


	33. Parent

Kyousuke and Rin sat before the family grave, hands clasped and heads bowed. A fresh bouquet of flowers had been laid out for their departed family members. It had been more than a decade now since the incident that had stolen their parents' lives away. Ever since that day, Kyousuke had taken Rin by the hand and been by her side constantly.

"I wonder what our parents would have thought." Rin's voice broke the silence.

"Hm?" Kyousuke glanced at her.

"You know, that we're doing all this naughty stuff. Do you think they would have approved?" Rin turned her inquisitive gaze on him.

Kyousuke's mouth twisted into a wry smile. He looked back at the grave. Should he tell her a lie or just go ahead with the truth? It would be nice to think that their parents would have condoned their actions, but somehow he doubted it. Society was not all that accepting of something like incest.

"I guess not, huh." Rin leaned back, looking up at the sky. "Well, it's fine. It's not like it really matters."

"I'm not sure if this is even something we should be discussing at their grave in the first place. But, yeah. We don't need to worry about what other people think." Kyousuke took her hand in his and squeezed gently. Rin looked at him and nodded, a smile forming on her own face.


	34. Sibling

Rin was lying beneath him, waiting, watching with wide, round eyes full of expectation. She was keen to start, but for Kyousuke, it took a bit of mental preparation before he could actually commit the act for the first time. He swallowed thickly and reached out to touch her face, stroking a thumb over her cheek.

The only sound to be heard was Rin's faint breathing. She blinked, a flicker of concern passing over her face. "Hey... are you okay?"

Did he look that nervous? Kyousuke shook his head and smiled. "Sorry. I was just thinking."

"Alright."

His little sister. His sibling.

Kyousuke moved his hand down, resting it upon her chest. He felt her pulse beating beneath her warm skin.

They had been together their whole lives, side by side, brother and sister, always walking together and now here they were, fully prepared to commit a sin. Their status as siblings was going to be forever altered.

This wasn't a decision you just made on the fly. There was so much to think about. Would they be able to hide this for the rest of their lives or would the day come when they had to tell everyone? What if they fell out and broke up? A flurry of thoughts tumbled through his mind, one after another.

"Kyousuke?" Rin's brow furrowed.

And he'd gone and got lost in his thoughts again. They were never going to get started at this rate. Kyousuke leaned in to kiss her. This really wasn't the easiest thing in the world. To be honest, part of him wanted to stop this in its tracks, to turn back before it was too late, but at the same time, another part of him wanted to sample the forbidden fruit, to take this daring leap with her and make a new start in their relationship.

Temptation won over reason, and he leaped.


	35. Truth

Riki had gone to Kyousuke's room, hoping to have a chat with him. He knocked on the door and stood there, waiting. However, the door did not open. It seemed neither Kyousuke nor his roommate were in the room after all. He was about to turn around and head back to his own room when a groan reached his ears.

"Huh?" Riki stiffened. Just what could have prompted such an alarming sound? Was someone hurt in there? He tried to open the door but found it locked. "Is someone in there?" He knocked again and pressed his ear against the door, hearing the sound of muffled voices. One of them sounded distinctly feminine.

That was when it hit him and he drew back, a rush of blood surging into his face. Of course. It was the sound of lovemaking. Now he felt foolish. It was probably Kyousuke's roommate in there, he supposed. Riki took his phone out and searched through the contact list until he found Kyousuke's number and called it. As he waited, the sound of a cell phone ringing filtered through the door. Riki turned around to look at the door, his eyes widening. He waited, but eventually the ringing stopped without anyone answering the call.

"No way," Riki whispered, lowering his hand. He stood there staring, mouth hanging open and eyes wide. It was actually Kyousuke in there after all, but who with? Just when had he found a girlfriend? Riki couldn't help feeling a bit hurt knowing that Kyousuke apparently had some girlfriend and hadn't even told them yet. Just how long had he been carrying on like this? Why hadn't he told anyone yet?

Riki started to pace back and forth, holding his head. What should he do now? Of course, he probably should just return to his room or find something else to do, but the desire to find out who it was in there was just too great. What would Kyousuke think of him for practically lying in wait to find out who he was having sex with? Maybe he could act all casual, pretend he had just been coming back whenever they came out. Yeah, that would probably work. Deciding that he would wait, Riki sat down on the floor, hugging his legs to his chest.

While he waited, he thought about just who it could be in there. One of the other girls in their group, maybe? Kurugaya seemed unlikely. Mio didn't seem too likely either. Maybe Kud? He had been suspected of being a lolicon at some point. Probably not Haruka. So, could it be Komari? Or perhaps it was some other girl they didn't know. Since when did Kyousuke actually have acquaintances who weren't the Little Busters? How had he met this girl and who was she? It was driving him crazy thinking about it.

Eventually, Riki heard the sound of footsteps from behind the door. He quickly leaped to his feet and stood just beyond the door, preparing himself. His heart drummed with anticipation. He felt a bit bad for doing this, but the curiosity was just too great. Riki held his breath, watching the door open.

A girl stepped out.

The last girl that Riki had been expecting to see.

Time seemed to freeze to a halt. His mind went blank as he took in the sight of his childhood friend casually stepping out of her brother's room. It could have seemed like a perfectly innocent and normal sight, had he not known what was transpiring in that room a moment ago. Could he have been mistaken about what he thought was happening in there?

No. Kyousuke hadn't answered his phone and the door was locked. There was no question... but there had to be some rational explanation for this. Maybe they were watching something together and just hadn't wanted any disturbances?

Rin caught sight of him.

"Riki?!" All the colour drained from her face and she stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth dropping open.

The last shred of hope Riki had been clinging to snapped.

"Rin..." Riki's mouth flapped open and shut. He tried to speak but the words just wouldn't come. What could he say? He had been presented with an impossible scene and he had no idea what he was supposed to even do. It just defied all belief.

Rin was trembling. "I... I was just returning manga to Kyousuke..."

How could she possibly think he would believe an obvious lie with that look on her face? Riki stormed into the room where he saw Kyousuke sitting on the bed, buttoning up his shirt. Just like Rin, he had a look of sheer horror on his face.

Riki thought about all those times Kyousuke had been unavailable lately. Rin had been absent from their evening activities more often too. He had even heard from Komari that Rin wasn't around one of those evenings, but he hadn't thought anything was odd about it. Now he understood.

The truth dawned on him, bright and clear.

"Riki." Kyousuke swallowed, lowering his gaze.

"Tell me this isn't what it looks like," Riki said in a wobbling voice. "Maybe I've just misunderstood. Right? Because there's no way you two are..." He trailed off, slowly shaking his head. "You're brother and sister."

How much he wanted to believe that all of this was a simple misunderstanding. This was all just beyond comprehension. The very thought of Kyousuke and Rin actually getting up to things he never could have imagined them doing was just too much. 

A lump formed in Riki's throat and his eyes glistened. "I don't understand. How could you be doing something like this?"

Kyousuke stared at the floor. Finally, he spoke up. "I know I can't expect you to understand."

Riki let out an incredulous laugh. "Yeah, I don't understand this at all. It's like some kind of bad dream. I wish I could just wake up already." He looked back at Rin, who was standing in the doorway with tears in her eyes. "How long has this been going on?"

"A couple of months," Kyousuke said dully, still looking down. He couldn't bring himself to look Riki in the eyes.

"Two months." Riki shook his head. "You've been keeping this secret from us the whole time. This is why you weren't spending time with us. You were spending it with Rin... doing... this... I..." He put a hand to his head. "I don't get it."

"I didn't really like keeping it secret," Rin blurted out, "but Kyousuke said we had to because nobody would approve. Riki, you don't hate us, do you? Please... don't hate us." Tears slipped from her eyes, gliding down her cheeks.

Riki slowly turned to face her. "Rin, do you actually love Kyousuke? Are you seriously enjoying this?"

Rin chewed her lower lip, casting her eyes down. "Yeah. I love him."

Riki let out an incredulous sound. "I don't even know who the hell you two are anymore. I never, ever would have thought that... that..." His voice broke off and he let out a sob. He then took off, pushing past Rin and racing back in the direction of his room.

"Riki!" Rin called after him, but he didn't stop.

Kyousuke groaned, his head sinking into his hands. "Dammit!"

"What's going to happen now?" Rin asked in a wobbling voice. "Now Riki knows the truth. Is he going to tell everyone? Will they all hate us now?"

“I don’t know,” Kyousuke hissed through clenched teeth. The roar of pounding blood surged through his ears. His head was swimming and he could feel his heart thumping furiously in his chest.

The truth had finally come out.

Kyousuke had known this day might come. In spite of that, he had gone along with this scandalous relationship, fully aware of the risks involved. Even knowing all that, he hadn't been ready for this.

Was this the beginning of the end?

He heard a sob and looked up to see Rin drop to her knees. Kyousuke wanted to go to her, to comfort her and tell her they would get through this together, but his body wouldn't move. One question kept reverberating in his head.

What had they done?


	36. Lies

It was a fine day to be outside and so Kyousuke and Riki were spending some time together during lunch break. They sat at the base of a tree and talked for a while, soon reaching a lull in the conversation.

Kyousuke placed his hands behind his head and leaned back against the tree, closing his eyes and basking in the warmth with a contented smile. A soft "Huh?" reached his ears.

"Hm? Something wrong?" Kyousuke cracked an eye open. Riki was leaning in, his forehead scrunching up as he peered at a spot somewhere around Kyousuke's shoulder.

"On your neck." Riki sat back, regarding Kyousuke with a puzzled look. "It looks like there's some kind of bruise there."

"Oh." Kyousuke jolted, instinctively clapping a hand over the spot on his neck. Color rose in his cheeks and he swallowed. Damn, how careless of him, letting someone spot it. What was he supposed to do now?

It wasn't like he could tell Riki that Rin had got carried away yesterday evening during one of their secret meetings. Riki didn't know. Nobody knew. They weren't allowed to know. Kyousuke ground his teeth, feeling a flutter of panic. How was he going to explain this one? "That..."

Riki raised an eyebrow. "That isn't a love bite, right?"

The laugh Kyousuke forced out sounded hollow to his ears. "Don't be ridiculous. Who would even have given it to me in the first place?" A painful thump reverberated in his chest. He met Riki's stare, silently begging him to believe the lie.

"Well, you do have plenty of female admirers after all." Riki's mouth twisted in a wry smile. "But, yeah, I guess that can't possibly be it, huh?"

Kyousuke relaxed, a surge of relief coursing through his body. He let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah, of course not. I think it happened when I was picking something off the floor and I bumped against the desk."

"Right." Riki laughed. "That makes a lot more sense. After all, it's not like you have a girlfriend."

"No, of course not." Kyousuke averted his gaze.

"If you did end up getting a girlfriend, I'm sure you would tell us right away, wouldn't you?"

Kyousuke looked at Riki again, catching sight of the innocent smile on his face. A stab of guilt pierced his chest. Poor Riki, he was so clueless. He had no idea what was going on and there was no choice but to keep deceiving him.

"Of course I would." Kyousuke forced a smile of his own. He cast his gaze somewhere in the distance, wondering how many more lies he would have to tell. It wasn't easy, keeping secrets from his own friends. Especially Riki.

But what choice did they have?


	37. Secret

"Is something bothering you, Rin?" Kyousuke asked, looking at his little sister who was sat anext to him on the bed. She had her legs pulled up to her chest and a sullen expression on her face. Something was obviously on her mind.

"Hmm." Rin blew out a puff of breath. Her brow furrowed. "You know, Kyousuke..." She paused.

"Yes?" Kyousuke leaned in, peering at her face.

It probably wasn't all that surprising she was feeling troubled, considering the magnitude of what they were doing together. They were having to meet in secret and tell all sorts of lies to prevent the truth from ever coming out. It was a considerable burden to bear and he had been well aware of that when they started.

Keeping secrets wasn't easy, especially one of this magnitude, but there was no other choice. The weight of this sin was heavy enough that friendships could be destroyed was the truth ever to be known and they couldn't possibly risk it. It had to be kept out of sight at all times. Kissing, fondling, even holding hands, were strictly forbidden unless they knew they were alone and there was no chance of their being seen. Kyousuke did find it a bit maddening at times, and he was sure Rin did too.

"I don't really like it." Rin's body heaved with a great sigh.

Kyousuke placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't like what?"

"You know, this... having to keep it a secret from everyone."

Ah. So he had been right on the mark after all. Kyousuke exhaled. "Rin..."

Rin met his gaze, guilt shining in her eyes. "I don't like having to lie and keep secrets from our friends." And she meant everything she said with all her heart. When she was looking at the smiling, unsuspecting faces of her friends and listening to them talk innocently about matters of love, it always felt like a knife was being twisted in her gut. "I wish we could just tell everyone."

Kyousuke knew exactly how she felt. Her feelings were the same as his own after all. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "Believe me, I know. But it's just not the right time yet."

Rin leaned into him and relaxed against his warm body. "It's never going to be the right time, is it?"

Kyousuke didn't reply. There was no point in doing so when they both knew what the answer was.


	38. Deception

Kyousuke was at his desk, doing his homework when he heard a soft knock on the door. He went to answer it and found Riki standing there.

"Hey, Kyousuke. Can I come in?" Riki had an uncertain look on his face.

"Yeah, sure." Kyousuke stepped aside, allowing Riki to enter the room. "I was just in the middle of doing my homework. Is something the matter?"

"Hm." Riki seemed to be mulling it over. He stared at the floor, shuffling his feet for a short while, before finally going to sit on the bed.

Kyousuke watched him, feeling a flutter of nervousness in his chest. Of course it couldn't have anything to do with a certain secret of his, he tried to tell himself. There was no way. 

"I know it's going to sound pretty lame, but... I can't help but notice you've been spending more time away from us lately," Riki said, casting his eyes down. "You're always, I dunno, in your room or something." He shook his head. "Of course, you're free to do whatever you want and we get to see you plenty during the day. Sorry, I know it's dumb."

"No, of course not." Kyousuke came over to sit next to him. A wedge of guilt drove itself deep into his chest. Had he really been neglecting Riki and the others that much? He hadn't realised. "I'm sorry, Riki, I had no idea you were feeling that way. It's just..." He trailed off, struggling to think of an excuse. "I've been busy, you know. Lots of work. I'll be graduating soon."

"I know. That's probably why." Riki's voice wobbled. "I know you'll be going soon and because of that, I want you to be with us as much as possible. You must think I'm being a pathetic baby." A dry laugh passed through his lips. "I'm dreading it, to be honest. The day that you leave us."

"Riki..." Kyousuke put his arms around him, trying not to think about how they were sitting on the very bed where Kyousuke had been indulging in those sinful acts, the very reason he hadn't been spending time with Riki and the others. "I know. It's going to be hard, saying goodbye. I'm not really looking forward to it either. I wish I had more time to spend with you, but..."

I'm too busy having sex with my sister. A fresh wave of guilt and shame washed over him at the thought. In spite of their efforts to keep it secret, to prevent anyone from getting hurt, he had still ended up causing his precious friend pain.

"I tried to call you last night. I thought it would be nice if we could spend the evening together." Riki smiled ruefully. "But you didn't answer. I tried to call Rin as well, but she didn't answer either, so it was just Masato, Kengo and I in the end."

Kyousuke stiffened. "Ah... really?" Dammit. Of course, Riki was bound to try contacting them both at the same time. Still, it wasn't like he would suspect them of doing anything wrong. Why would he? After all, as far as Riki knew, they were just a normal brother and sister with a normal sibling relationship. "I guess she was busy as well. Or hanging out with the girls."

"Maybe." Riki fell silent for a while, then turned his face toward Kyousuke. "Well, I'm not saying you have to spend all your time with us, Kyousuke. But, I just..."

"It's alright. I understand." Kyousuke placed a hand on his head, showing him a pained smile. "Next time I'm free, I'll definitely come over and think of something fun for us all to do, okay?"

"Sure. I'd like that." Riki's face lit up. The sight of his joyful smile only drove that wedge of pain even deeper. "Thank you, Kyousuke. I'm glad I came to talk to you."

"No problem." Kyousuke clapped his hand on Riki's shoulder. "Well then, I guess I'd better get back to my homework."

"Alright. I'll see you later then." Riki got up and left the room.

Kyousuke watched him leave, staring at the door for a long while before slowly dropping his face into his hands. What an idiot he was. He should have realised that he and Rin were meeting too often. Of course their friends were bound to notice something eventually. They needed to be more careful from now on. With a frustrated sigh, Kyousuke threw himself back onto the bed where he gazed despondently at the bottom of the top bed.

How much longer could they continue this deception?


	39. Threesome

"Are you ready for it?" Kyousuke searched his sister's face. She looked content enough, with flushed cheeks and a dreamy smile on her face. "If it feels uncomfortable, just say so." He wouldn't want his own little sister being hurt.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's get on with it already."

"Okay." Kyousuke pressed closer against her slender body, brushing his lips against Rin's. He ran his hand along her swathes of long, brown hair down to her back, tracing along the curve of her spine.

Riki coiled around Rin from behind, burying his face in the back of her neck, and gently gripped her hip. He felt the warmth of Kyousuke's hand as it came to rest on his own.

Rin let out a soft gasp, her body tensing up.

"Is it hurting?" Riki asked anxiously.

"No... keep going."

And so it began, the sinful act of making love. Even Riki, who had finally come around to accept the siblings' great taboo, was here, joining them in what was a treasured moment. Others would see it as wrong but none of them cared about that. All that mattered was that they loved each other.


	40. Cheat

"So, Natsume-san..." A female colleague was leaning against Kyousuke's desk, regarding him with a curious gaze. "How is it that someone as good-looking as you is still single, anyway? I hear you have a few female admirers in the workplace alone."

"Uh." Kyousuke thought about it for a moment, carefully choosing the words he would say. It wasn't like he was actually single, he had simply chosen to let everyone believe that, and he would certainly never cheat on the girl he was with either. The thing was, he could hardly tell everyone he was dating his little sister. He had no desire to be a social outcast. "I suppose I'm just not interested in a relationship right now."

"Hmm, I see." The woman pulled at a strand of hair, twirling it around her finger with a thoughtful look. "It's not that you're gay, is it? I mean, that would be totally cool if you were. No problem."

Kyousuke put on a patient smile. "I'm really just not looking for anyone right now, that's all."

"Well, okay. I'm sure if it's someone like you, you would have no trouble finding anyone. Well, talk to you later." With a smile, she walked away.

Good grief. There really were some nosey people in the workplace. Kyousuke returned his attention to his work, feeling mildly exasperated. Girls were practically queueing up before him. No doubt they would all be turned off if they knew he was into his own sister. As tempting as the thought was, it wasn't like he was that desperate to drive them away.


	41. Forgiveness

Rin was surprised to see a message from Riki on her phone. Ever since the secret had been revealed, he hadn't said a word to her or even looked her in the eye. Her hands were shaking as she opened the message.

'Can we talk in the baseball clubroom?'

This was a good sign, wasn't it? Riki was willing to talk to her at long last. Her heart was pounding as she texted back a response. She hurried there as fast as she could. When she arrived, Riki was already there, sitting on a bench and gazing at the floor.

"Riki." Rin closed the door behind her, staring at him with an awkward expression.

Riki raised his head, meeting her gaze. "Hey." He swallowed, looking away. "So, er, are you going to have a seat?"

Rin made her way over to the opposite bench and sat down. She drew in a deep breath which she slowly released. A thick, uncomfortable silence hung over the two. "Um... so, have you forgiven me?" She peeked up at him through her bangs.

"Eh?" Riki looked startled. "What are you talking about? Shouldn't it be the other way round?"

"Hm?" Rin tilted her head. "What do you mean? I thought you were mad at me and Kyousuke, because we were doing all that... and we were keeping it a secret too."

"Well, yeah." Riki hung his head, putting a hand to his forehead. "I was pretty angry, yeah, and I was hurt. I still don't know what to make of it. The thought of you and Kyousuke being together like that, it's really hard to wrap my head around. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to understand. But, the way I've been treating you two, it just wasn't right. I've been ignoring you the past few days. You must have been so hurt, Rin."

"Well..." Rin looked down at her hands. "It did make me really sad. I didn't like that you weren't talking to us anymore. I thought you hated us and... I don't want that. I don't want you to hate us, Riki."

"I don't hate you." Riki dropped his hand into his lap, shaking his head. "I just needed some time to think about it. I was being unfair to you. Rin, can you forgive me?"

"Well... I don't really see what I have to forgive you for, but okay."

Riki's lips formed a small smile. "Thank you. I hope that Kyousuke can forgive me too. So, does he really make you happy, Rin? Are you happy with the way things are right now?"

"Uh huh." Rin nodded.

"Are you sure this is a good idea though?" Riki bit his lower lip. "What if something changes? Like, what if one of you falls out of love or... I don't know. Your relationship as siblings could be affected forever, but then again, I guess it's too late, isn't it? It's already changed so much. I don't suppose you could ever go back if you wanted to."

"Hmm." Rin frowned. "Well, I don't really think about complicated stuff like that."

"I guess you wouldn't." Riki smiled wryly. "It's a big deal, Rin. Aren't you even a little scared?" He saw Rin shake her head in response. "Alright. Honestly, I think the two of you are making a mistake, but I'm not going to try and change your mind. I just hope it all works out. In the end, I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy." Rin folded her arms. "Kyousuke and I are both happy together."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." Riki exhaled. "I hope you'll have a happy future." He gazed into space for a moment, looking thoughtful. "As for everyone else... they are still pretty mixed, I suppose. Komari-san still talks to you, right?"

"Yeah. Kud too. Everyone else... well, they act really odd around me."

"Well, it's a lot to deal with. I think they just don't know how to talk to you at the moment. It's been pretty awkward between all of us. Maybe over time, the awkwardness will go away. But one thing is for sure."

"Hm?"

"I won't let the Little Busters fall apart, so don't worry." Riki stood up, smiling reassuringly at her. "I'll do my best to repair the cracks."

Rin stood up as well, nodding with a smile on her face. "I hope you can. If Kyousuke and I... if we'd destroyed the Little Busters then... that would be really sad."

Riki stepped forward, putting a hand on her head. "Don't worry," he murmured. "Just leave it to me. I can't promise you everything will go back to the way it used to be, but I'll do my best."

Rin's eyes glimmered. "Thank you, Riki."


	42. Cult

"I'm home," Kyousuke called out, stepping into the apartment. He walked further in and stopped still at the sight. It almost seemed normal enough with cats prowling around and meowing, but they did little to hide the sight of what had happened in here. Various objects were strewn all over the place. It didn't look like simple feline inflicted chaos. "Rin? Rin, where are you?"

There was no answer. Kyousuke checked her room but found no sign of her. He looked in the bathroom, finding nobody there, then went into his own room. Of course, she wasn't there either. He stood in the middle of his room, slowly shaking his head. Maybe there was a rational explanation for this. He wanted to believe that. Rin must have gone out for a bit, even if it meant leaving that mess untouched. Maybe it really had just been the cats who made the mess, perhaps Rin had just got a bit too playful herself. Yeah, that had to be it.

Kyousuke heard heavy footsteps from behind and whirled around to see a tall, bulky figure. Their face was concealed beneath a mask, half hidden within the shadows cast by the dark hood they wore. In one hand, they held a taser which they immediately fired. The prongs flew out, slamming into Kyousuke's body. He dropped to the floor, gasping. The mysterious figure stood over him, withdrawing a cloth and a bottle from the pocket of their robe. They applied whatever was in the bottle to the cloth and then pressed it against Kyousuke's nose and mouth.

A sweet smelling scent wafted up Kyousuke's nose. He couldn't move a muscle. His ears filled with the sound of roaring blood and his heart raced. As the darkness swooped in on him, his last thought was of Rin, wondering what had happened to her, and a prayer that she was safe.

Kyousuke woke to the sound of an engine. He could tell that he was in some kind of moving vehicle. It was too dark to see anything, all he saw was a tiny little chink of light. His arms and legs were secured tightly.

"Ugh... what the hell?" Kyousuke writhed about, trying to break free of the bonds but they remained fast. "Dammit."

"Kyousuke?"

Kyousuke's heart leaped. That was Rin's voice! His spirits immediately sank. If she was here too, then she was in the same situation as him.

"Rin... are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"No, but it was scary," Rin said in a wobbling voice. "They hit me with something and I couldn't move, then they put something on my face and I fell asleep, then I woke up in here."

"Don't worry, Rin. I'll keep you safe, no matter what." Kyousuke prayed he would be able to keep that promise.

After a long while, the vehicle came to a stop. The doors opened to reveal people clad in robes. They pulled Kyousuke and Rin out, removing the bonds from their legs and blindfolding them, and forced them to walk while holding onto them, guiding their way. They walked a long way, first along graveled terrain, then along solid wooden floors. Eventually, they came to a stop and the blindfolds were ripped off.

They were in a small room. The only window was high up and had bars on it. The door they had come through had a small window in the top and a flap in the bottom. There was little furniture in the room, just a double bed, some worn leather chairs, a bookshelf with a small assortment of books. In one corner of the room were a sink, a toilet, and a dingy bath. 

Kyousuke's blood ran cold. This was clearly somewhere to keep people prisoner. The ropes around his hands came loose. He whirled around, intending to fight, but the people were quicker. One of them swung a club at his head. It smacked into his skull with a sharp impact and he dropped to the floor, his head ringing.

"Ugh...!" Kyousuke tried to get up again, but a sharp impact to his knee brought forth a burst of pain that prevented him from doing so. "Dammit... I won't let you hurt Rin, you bastards!"

The people quickly retreated, slamming the door shut. There was a click, the sign of a lock being put in place. One of their captors put their face to the window.

"Relax, no harm will come to either of you... as long as you follow our orders."

"Orders?" Kyousuke repeated, gritting his teeth as he clutched his knee. "The hell are you talking about?"

Rin quietly whimpered, dropping to the floor and hugging her legs to her chest.

"All will be explained in due time. However, let us bring you dinner first. It is late and you must be getting hungry." The face disappeared.

"Hey, wait!" Kyousuke staggered over to the door and pounded his fists upon it. "Why are you doing this? Let us out!" He kicked the door but it remained in place. It was clear no amount of kicking would do anything either. "No... damn it..." Kyousuke sank to the floor, hitting it with his fists.

"What's going to happen to us now?"

"I don't know," Kyousuke replied, feeling a wave of shame. He should have protected her from harm, but in the end, he had been completely unable to do anything. 

A short while later, a tray laden with food came through the door. It looked dull and unappetising. How could their captors possibly think they could eat at a time like this? However, their stomachs were eventually grumbling enough that they gave in and ate the food.

It had grown dark by the time one of their captors came back to the door.

"How are you settling in? We know it's not much, but we ask only for your understanding. However long you must spend in here is entirely down to you."

"So what do we have to do then?" Kyousuke asked. "Why us? I don't get it... what do you want?"

"It is very simple. We are collecting blood."

"Blood?" Rin repeated, her voice shaking. "Are you vampires?"

Normally, Kyousuke would be amused by Rin saying something so ridiculous, but at a time like this, he could find no humour in the situation.

"No. We are not vampires. We are followers who were gifted with a mission. Our god commands it."

Kyousuke felt a chill. These people were crazy, no doubt about it. "Your god? He wants you to kidnap people? That's just messed up."

"He has spoken. Precious are the bonds of family, the bonds of blood, and it is our mission to bring about the creations from the union of blood, for the sake of our god, so that he may someday return to this earth."

"I don't get it," said Rin. "He sounds completely crazy."

"The fuck is this... some kind of creepy cult?" asked Kyousuke.

"Cult? That is a harsh word, but call us that if you want, it matters not as long as we succeed in carrying out our god's mission, and for that we need your help. You two are brother and sister, are you not?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Kyousuke glanced at Rin. She met his gaze, her expression fearful.

"You two must create. Your blood must combine. You will bring life into this world together."

"Huh?" Rin looked back at the door. "I really don't get it. Can't you be clearer?"

All the colour drained from Kyousuke's face and his eyes grew wide. "No. You're kidding... you can't possibly mean... that's just sick!"

"Yes, it is understandable that you would be resistant to it at first but you must follow our orders. The sooner you two create the bond of blood and produce a child, the sooner you two will be free."

"Oh god." Kyousuke's head sank into his hands. "This is crazy. You can't be serious. No. Please. Don't make us do this!"

"Think about it. You have plenty of time. Our god is patient. He is willing to wait as long as he must." The figure turned around and walked away.

"No... no, no, no..." Kyousuke shuddered. This had to be some kind of bad dream. He couldn't do this. It was wrong.

"What was that about producing a child?" Rin's brow furrowed as she looked at Kyousuke. "Are we meant to go and have children? How are we supposed to do that if they keep us in here? I'm not sure if I even want to... I don't know who I would have a kid with yet." Her face reddened at the thought. "What about you, Kyousuke?"

Kyousuke's hands dropped to the floor and he slowly shook his head. "With each other, Rin. That's what they mean."

"Each other... you mean..." Rin's expression turned to revulsion. "Ew! But that's weird... I mean, you're my brother. You can't be my boyfriend as well. I don't want to marry you. Isn't that really weird?"

"Well, that's what they want us to do," Kyousuke said dully, staring at the floor. "They want us to have a baby together. There won't be marriage involved."

"Huh." Rin folded her arms, frowning. "And if we don't have a baby, they won't let us go?"

"That's right." Kyousuke swallowed. He looked over at the bed. Just one bed. Double, too. How could he possibly do something like this? Rin was his cute and innocent little sister. There was no way he could even think about defiling her. It was disgusting.

"Oh. That's too bad." Rin got up and walked around the room. "Maybe the police will come and save us. They will notice we're gone soon, right? I hope my cats will be okay." She flopped into one of the chairs.

"Yeah. I'm sure we'll be rescued soon." Kyousuke had to force the confidence into his voice.

Were there others like them here? How long had they been held in this place? He needed to believe it, that help would come.

The days passed by. People would come to the door with food and water. Kyousuke and Rin would pass the time reading or talking to each other. Not once did either of them breach the subject of having a child. They couldn't do it. There was no way.

Finally, someone came to the door.

"We have noticed you two have yet to attempt to produce a child."

"Yeah. I wonder why," said Kyousuke. "You seriously expect us to just go along with your sick and twisted game?"

"Are you willing to protect your sister at all costs?"

"Of course I am."

"Well, our god is patient. However, our members do have certain desires. If you are unwilling to cooperate, you may find some of them inclined to borrow her."

"B-borrow?" Kyousuke's mouth grew dry.

"They would use protection, of course. After all, she may only become pregnant by her brother. If you would wish to ensure that she remains yours and yours alone... then we suggest you hurry up. We are watching you."

"You bastards! What do you mean, watching?"

"We have cameras in the rooms, you see. So, think about it. We would be very pleased if you were to help us complete the mission for our god. Do not waste any more time for her sake." With that said, they walked away.

"How could they... those monsters!" Kyousuke slammed his fists against the floor.

"There they go again with the weird nonsense. So what did they say this time? I didn't understand much."

Kyousuke looked at Rin, a lump forming in his throat. "We have to do it."

"What?" Rin's eyes widened. "But weren't we going to wait for the police to come and save us?"

Kyousuke exhaled. "There's no time left. If we don't do it, you're going to be hurt, Rin, and I can't let that happen to you. You remember your trauma from childhood?"

"Oh... that?" Rin looked worried.

"It's going to be even worse than that."

"No..." Rin stepped back, shivering and wrapping her arms around herself. She shook her head. "No... I don't want that... please..."

Kyousuke got up and walked over to embrace her. "I'll do anything to protect you, Rin. Anything."

"Kyousuke..." Rin pressed herself against his chest. "I'm scared."

"It's alright." Kyousuke stroked her hair. "I won't let those bastards touch you, I promise." 

That night, they began. Kyousuke's heart was pounding as he gazed down at his little sister's face. She looked slightly anxious, but didn't so much as protest. Rin understood that this was something they had to do, no matter what. Still, that didn't mean he was entirely okay with it. He felt disgusted with himself for daring to touch his own little sister, but what choice did he have? 

After the deed was done, the two of them lay side by side, staring up at the ceiling.

"It wasn't too bad," Rin said. "Yeah, it was really weird, but... it was better than having some scary stranger do it to me."

Kyousuke was relieved that she was taking it in stride so well. It could have been worse. Had she been disgusted with him or hated him for it, he didn't think he could have lived with himself.

"So, I'm gonna have a baby now, right?"

"I don't know."

"Hm? But we did it, right?"

"Yeah, but it might take more than one try for you to get pregnant. We won't be sure for quite a while, so we're going to have to keep doing it until we're sure." Kyousuke turned over, looking at her face, his brow furrowed. "Is that alright, Rin?"

"Mmm." Rin nodded. "If it keeps the scary people away from me, I'll do anything."

"Good." Kyousuke smiled, reaching out to brush back a strand of her hair. "We'll get out of here someday, I promise you."

"Yeah." Rin half closed her eyes, smiling back. "I can't wait to see everyone again. I miss them."

"So do I."

After that, Kyousuke made love to Rin every day. He was dismayed when her period came, but assured her it was just a matter of time. She would become pregnant sooner or later. They just had to keep trying.

How much time passed, neither of them knew. They had lost track of time, stuck inside that small room. It was the same old thing every day. They would sit, pace around the room, talk, have sex, eat and drink whenever their captors brought food and drink to them.

One day, someone came to the door. "We have noticed it has been almost two months now since the girl's last bleed."

Had it? Kyousuke had honestly had no idea, and neither had Rin.

"Here is a pregnancy test." A box was passed through the flap. "Please let us know the results as soon as you can."

The blue line confirmed what they had been hoping for. Kyousuke felt a rush of elation, mixed with shame. This was the key to their freedom and yet, it disgusted him to think he had got his own little sister pregnant.

"Thank god." Kyousuke smiled weakly. "We don't have to have sex anymore."

"We don't?" Rin frowned slightly.

"No. You're pregnant. Once you have the baby, we're free."

"I see." Rin let out a faint sigh.

"Rin?" Kyousuke peered at her. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? I'm fine." Rin lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "I'm glad we're getting out of here at last. So how long do we have to wait?"

"Somewhere up to nine months, I suppose. You're not actually disappointed, are you?" Kyousuke couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Well, I mean, it's so boring in here. At least it was something to do and it felt nice." Rin shrugged again, looking at him with dull eyes. "But I guess I can wait until the baby comes out. Nine months, huh. What a long time."

Kyousuke forced back the lump in his throat, his eyes stinging. Just what had he done to her? No, this was all because of them. They were the ones who had locked the siblings up here and made them commit this depraved sin. He pulled Rin into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry."

"Huh, why?"

There was no answer. Kyousuke just held on to her tightly, his eyes closed. They would get out of here soon, and then they could get back to their lives and Rin would return to her normal self.

Time passed by. Rin's stomach grew in size. They were served larger meals, and their captors even bought them new books and newspapers. Kyousuke read the newspapers thoroughly, looking for a mention of them, and eventually an article revealed another pair of siblings had been kidnapped, while mentioning that the search was going on for others, him and Rin included. So they really weren't the only ones. Kyousuke felt ill at the thought. It was nice to finally be able to track the time. Almost six months had elapsed since his and Rin's kidnapping at this point. He wondered how Riki and the others were. They had to be so worried.

The day came when Rin's waters broke. Their captors wasted no time in entering the room and bearing Rin away, leaving Kyousuke alone in the room. He waited and waited, wallowing in anxiety. Would Rin be able to deliver the baby safely? Was she scared, having to deliver the baby without him there? Day became night, and then it was day again.

Someone came to bring him breakfast. "The baby has been born and is healthy. The mother needs her rest. We will return her in a few days."

Kyousuke was so relieved to hear the news. He waited for her safe return.

Finally, after several days, the door opened and Rin was thrust into the room. Her face lit up when she saw her brother. "Kyousuke!" She ran over and grabbed him in a fierce hug.

"Rin. Oh, thank god, you're alright." Kyousuke held onto her tightly. "I was so worried. Where's the baby?"

"They said they were going to hold onto her."

So it was a girl. Kyousuke swallowed, feeling a rush of emotion. They had actually brought a child into this world. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel. 

The hooded people were coming into the room. Kyousuke tightened his hold on Rin, watching them guardedly. "What do you want?"

"You have done as we have commanded. The reward is your freedom. Now come, let us bind you."

Kyousuke and Rin were seized and their hands tied behind their backs.

"Hold on, what about the baby?" Kyousuke asked.

There was no response. They were blindfolded and marched out of the room, then thrown into what was presumably a vehicle, perhaps even the same one that had brought them here. After what felt like an eternity, the doors opened again. They were thrown out onto a dusty path and their bindings removed.

"The road ahead leads back into town," said one of the hooded people. "It shouldn't take long. Farewell."

Kyousuke and Rin watched on in quiet disbelief as the people got back into the van and it drove away.

"We're free," Rin said in a wondering tone, looking around.

Kyousuke hunched over on his knees, staring at the ground. His eyes prickled with tears. "Oh my god... we're really out. At last." A sob burst from his throat.

"Shouldn't we get going? We've got to let Riki and everyone know we're okay."

"Yeah. Of course." Kyousuke staggered to his feet. He took hold of Rin's hand and they walked along the trail. Soon enough, they saw houses in the distance. The sight was enough to bring fresh tears to his eyes.

"Hey, Kyousuke."

"Hm?"

"Those people kept the baby."

"Yeah. They did." Kyousuke felt a pang. He had watched Rin's belly grow over these months, conscious of the life within, and even felt the baby kicking. Yes, it was a life that shouldn't have been brought into the world, but it was still a life.

"It's kinda sad." Rin looked down. "I saw it, you know, the baby. She was really small. There was hardly any hair on her head."

"Uh huh." Kyousuke swallowed. Hearing her talk only drove the spike of pain even deeper in his chest.

"Do you think we'll ever see the baby again?"

Kyousuke was silent for a while. "Who knows."

"I wonder what they wanted to do with her. Why did they make us have sex and have a baby?"

"I really don't understand any of it. But it's over now, Rin. We're free. We can go back to our normal lives now. Let's just put it all behind us."

"Okay." Rin looked ahead with a slight frown. "It's going to be so weird."

"I suppose so." Everything felt so different to Kyousuke. The sound of the birds, the wind on his face, things he had taken for granted, it was as if he was experiencing them anew. "It does feel so strange."

"What are we going to do now?"

"What do you mean? Everything will go back to normal. I'll get another job, you'll go to college, we'll live our normal lives again."

"We're just going to be a normal brother and sister again, right?"

"Of course we are."

"I see." Rin exhaled. "Honestly, it doesn't feel like you're just my idiot brother anymore."

"Rin," Kyousuke said in a serious tone. "I am just your idiot brother alright? Nothing more than that. You're my little sister. I know after everything that's happened, it feels weird, but we'll get back to normal. We have to."

"Alright." Rin looked at him with a faint hint of sadness in her expression. "I'm glad though. That you were with me. It would have been super scary if I was by myself."

"Yeah. I couldn't do anything about us being taken, but I did my best to protect you." Kyousuke smiled. "I made sure you didn't get hurt. And now, here we are. Free at last."

"I can't wait to see everyone again." A smile formed on Rin's own face.

The sight of her smiling face filled Kyousuke with warmth. He had done everything he could to protect his little sister and now here they were, safe and free. Side by side, they made their way into the town.


	43. Messenger

Kyousuke answered the door to find Rin there. "Hey. What's up?" He contemplated giving her a kiss even while they were still in the doorway, but decided against it. The truth might have been out, but they weren't quite at the point where they could indulge in public displays of affection. Instead, he stepped aside to allow her in.

"I've got good news." Rin clasped her hands behind her back, smiling. "Guess what?"

"You found a way to erase the memories of the entire school so they would forget we were committing incest?" Kyousuke said, wryly. He couldn't see why Rin was being so cheerful with everyone treating them like lepers, even their own friends.

"What, is there a way?" Rin looked nonplussed for a second. "Hmm. What if we went around hitting everyone on the head?"

"That's ridiculous. And you could kill someone doing that. Seriously, what's the good news?"

"Riki's actually talking to me again."

"Huh?" Kyousuke's jaw dropped. "He is? That's... that's great." 

"And he wanted me to give you a message."

"Oh." Kyousuke's stomach sank. Surely it couldn't be worse than the things that Riki had said to him on that day. Anyway, if he was actually talking to Rin again, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Steeling himself, he spoke again. "So what is it?"

Rin folded her arms, casting her gaze downward. "He said... he's not quite ready to talk to you just yet, he just needs more time."

"Well, that's something." Kyousuke smiled in relief. "Thank god."

"Yeah." Rin stepped over and wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. "I'm so glad. Riki doesn't hate me anymore. I don't think he hates you either."

Kyousuke put his arms around Rin's body and kissed the top of her head. "I guess things are looking up for us after all. I was so afraid I'd ruined everything, I couldn't bear it. Thinking that I'd doomed our friendships forever."

"Maybe we can hang out with them against like we used to." Rin looked up, her mouth stretching in a wide smile. "Wouldn't that be great?"

"It would be nice if we could." Kyousuke reached up and stroked her hair. He was so glad to see that smile. Rin looked happier than she had in days. Hopefully, she would never lose that smile again.


	44. Separation

Kyousuke closed the manga, a sigh passing through his lips. That had certainly been an unexpected development. The volume had ended up on a cliffhanger with the brother and sister (who were not blood related, something he honestly thought an unnecessary cop out whenever used) breaking up.

As someone who was dating his own little sister, it was a bit unsettling. Of course it was unrealistic to expect that they would always be together for the rest of their lives. Things happened. Feelings changed. Who knew where they would be ten years in the future?

Their relationship was entirely different from the norm after all.

Kyousuke left his room and found Rin on the couch, stroking a curled up cat in her lap. He sat down next to her, gazing at her with a serious expression. Rin glanced at him, blinking.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to come and sit with you."

"Okay." Rin raised an eyebrow. "But you don't have to stare at me like that. It's creepy."

How blunt she could be. Kyousuke smiled wryly. "You know, Rin, no matter what happens between us... you will always be my little sister and I'll always love you. I just want you to know that."

"Um. Right." Rin's brow furrowed. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing like that. I just wanted to get that off my chest." Kyousuke put an arm around Rin's shoulders and kissed her cheek. "You know, I really am happy that you're my little sister."

"Seriously, what's wrong with you?"

Kyousuke exhaled, a smile forming on his face. Typical Rin. Here he was, trying to be all deep and stuff, and as usual, she was barely even getting it. "Never mind," he said, patting her head before rising from the couch.


	45. Together

Kyousuke and Rin sat together on the wall, eyes drawn to the point where the sea and the sky met. The sun cast down its rays, creating a dazzling spectacle on the surface of the water. The cry of seagulls reached their ears, along with the crashing of waves on the sand. 

"We haven't been to the beach since that field trip, have we?" Rin turned her head. The wind whipped at her hair, plastering some of it against her face.

"No, I don't believe we have." Kyousuke shook his head, a small smile forming on his face as he thought back to those distant days. It had certainly been a fun field trip. The memory provoked a pang in his chest. When the Little Busters were together, they had always had so much fun. Now it was just him and Rin most of the time, not that he was complaining. He reached out and took Rin's hand in his, squeezing gently.

Rin looked back at the sea. "It would be nice if we could all get together again sometime."

"Yeah. But at least we've got each other, right?"

"Mmm." Rin's head bobbed. She leaned into him and relaxed with a soft sigh. "We will always be together, won't we?"

"Of course we will," Kyousuke murmured, resting his cheek on top of her head.


	46. Childhood Friend

There were cats all around her, but Rin barely paid any attention to them. Her focus was only on the photograph clutched in her hands. How many times had she looked at this photograph now, just staring intently at it until every single detail was burned into her mind? She just didn't know.

The five childhood friends depicted in the picture were happy and smiling. Her heart ached to think of those carefree and innocent days they had all spent together, just having fun. If only they could have those days back. 

Riki. Masato. Kengo.

How much she missed them. The photo disappeared behind a blur of tears and her chest hitched. Her face grew hot and tears welled in her eyes. Rin sniffled, a tear breaking free and sliding down her cheek. 

"Rin."

The sudden voice made her jump. Rin twisted around to see Kyousuke leaning on the back of the sofa, looking concerned. The pained look on her face sent a spike of pain through his own chest. 

"I miss them," Rin gasped out. "I miss everyone. I want to see them all again. Why... why can't we all be happy together?" She started sniffling, further tears coursing down her cheeks.

A lump formed in Kyousuke's throat. He looked over her shoulder at the picture. Ever since that day the truth came out, words had barely been spoken between the siblings and the childhood friends. Rin had even dropped out of school instead of continuing through the third year, much to his dismay. He'd had to support her while working at the same time but in the end, it had worked out.

Rin should have been at school with everyone else right now, smiling, laughing and having fun together with their friends, but instead here she was, crying her eyes out on the sofa while surrounded by cats.

"Do you think things will ever go back to the way they were?" Rin looked at the picture again. Her voice was so soft, Kyousuke barely heard her.

"I don't know." Kyousuke put a hand on her head. "But I hope so, I really do." He looked doubtful. "Rin, do you regret it? Do you wish we had never started any of this?"

Rin drew in a long, shaky breath, then slowly exhaled. After a long while, she slowly shook her head from side to side. "I just want things to be the way they were again. I want us all to be together, and happy, and doing fun things like we used to. It's not fair. Why can't we be together?" Her shoulders shook and she dissolved into sobbing. 

Kyousuke leaned in, wrapping his arms around Rin's trembling body, and held onto her while she cried.


	47. Fire

The brightly burning flames leaped about, hungrily devouring the small heap of wood that served as their fuel. Rin sat close to the fire, hugging her legs to her chest as she basked in the tantalising warmth that the flames had to offer. Her eyes slid shut and a soft sigh passed through her lips. The soothing sound of crackling flames was joined by that of footsteps.

"Found them." Kyousuke sat down next to her, clutching a bag of marshmallows and a couple of skewers. He handed one over to Rin. "Time to enjoy some marshmallows."

In unison, each of them speared a marshmallow and held it out over the flames before devouring the charred sweets.

"Mmm. It's been forever since we've done this." Kyousuke toasted another marshmallow and chewed on it, sitting back and raising his gaze to the sky. A large patch of sky was visible through the cover of trees and he could just make out the stars. "It's nice to go camping once in a while. Is there anything in particular you would like to do tomorrow? We've got the whole weekend free after all."

Rin shook her head. She popped another marshmallow in her mouth and swallowed. "Whatever you think of is fine. You always come up with fun stuff for us to do."

"Alright then." Kyousuke put an arm around Rin's shoulders, resting his head against hers.

The two siblings quietly ate their marshmallows, watching the fire burn.

"Fire," said Rin, all of a sudden.

"Hm?"

"There's a lot of fire in hell, isn't there?"

Kyousuke blinked. Just what had prompted Rin to say something so random? He supposed he should be pretty used to it by now but it still caught him by surprise. "Er, I guess so. It is supposed to be pretty hot in there. Why?"

"I heard that sinners go to hell." Rin peered at him, eyes radiating concern. "Are we going to go to hell, Kyousuke?"

Kyousuke let out a short, uncomfortable laugh. "Of course not. That's ridiculous."

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Trust me."

"Okay." Rin breathed a sigh of relief, turning her gaze back to the fire. "I'll believe you."

Kyousuke smiled in bemusement as he kissed her head, then he too returned to staring at the fire. His smile faded, leaving behind a troubled expression. Deep down, Rin had to be uneasy, knowing what a taboo their love was, but he would be there to ease her worries whenever they came up. He would be lying if he said he never had misgivings of his own but so far everything was working out, somehow. Rin shifted, leaning further into him, and he held her tighter, stroking her hair.


	48. Guilt

Kyousuke pulled in one deep breath after another, hugging his knees to his chest as he gazed blankly into space. His body trembled like a leaf.

Just a few moments ago, he had been basking in giddy euphoria and now that feeling had flown away, leaving behind utter shock in its wake. It was crazy to think how quickly one's mood could change.

"Hey, you alright?" Rin leaned in, peering at his face. Kyousuke blinked, taking in the sight of his little sister. She was halfway through getting dressed, wearing only her underwear and shirt that was yet to be buttoned. He shuddered and shifted his gaze to the clothes strewn around the room. Part of him was screaming for her to pick up the rest of her clothes and put them back on. He couldn't bear seeing the evidence of what they had done.

Just what had he been thinking? Kyousuke was struggling to make sense of it all. He had defiled his own little sister and left a stain on her. This was the sort of thing that would affect their own lives, even their relationship with each other. Just thinking about the future had him paralysed with fear.

"What's wrong with you? How come you're acting so weird?" Rin placed a hand on Kyousuke's arm and felt him flinch. She withdrew her arm, regarding him with wide eyes.

Kyousuke swallowed, forcing back the bile. "Did we do the right thing? Maybe..." He put a hand on his forehead. "Maybe we shouldn't have done it."

"Huh?" Rin recoiled. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry." Kyousuke's eyes welled with tears. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. What have I done?"

It had been a mistake, hadn't it? A horrible mistake. Perhaps it would be better to put it behind them and forget it ever happened. How could have done something that could ruin his little sister's life?

Rin frowned. "Do you wish we hadn't done it?"

Kyousuke drew in a long, shuddering breath and slowly exhaled. "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe we should pretend it didn't happen. We're brother and sister. Let's just keep it that way."

"Hmm." Rin tilted her head. "But you enjoyed it, right?"

"I..." Yes. He had enjoyed it. The thought made Kyousuke feel a bit ill. This was supposed to have been forbidden territory, but he had still breached it and now he wasn't sure if he had done the right thing.

"Well, I enjoyed it too. I don't think you did anything wrong."

Kyousuke raised his head, staring at her puzzled expression. Rin really was completely unfazed by all this. "Rin..."

"It would be a shame if we couldn't do it again. If you need time to think about it or something, I guess that's fine."

Kyousuke was silent, gazing intently at her face. After a while, he lowered his gaze. "I think I could do with some more time. This is a big deal, Rin. You know that, don't you?"

"Okay." Rin went around the room and picked up her clothes, putting them back on. She went back to Kyousuke, leaning over with her hands on her knees. "Um..."

"Yeah?"

Rin looked up, a light pink shade tinting her cheeks. "Could I... have one more kiss before I go?"

Kyousuke looked at her with doubt on his face, before leaning over to give her a kiss on the lips. He felt her press her lips back against his and heard the soft murmur in her throat. Then Rin pulled back and turned around to leave the room. Kyousuke watched her go, then brought a finger to his lips. It was strange. Even crippled by the guilt and fear, he had actually enjoyed that kiss.


	49. Morning

Rin pushed the door open slightly, putting her head around it. She observed the rise and fall of the lump concealed beneath the covers on the bed. It didn't look like he had woken up yet. Rin moved forward, taking great care not to make any noise.

Kyousuke lay on his back, looking serene and peaceful as he slept. Rin gazed down at him, a complicated expression forming on her face.

Now that she was here, what should she even do?

Just shake him awake and say "Good morning"? Should she do it in as cheerful a voice as possible? Wasn't that how they always did it in anime? Then again, Rin had always had trouble behaving like that. Some people she knew made it seem so easy but she just found it too difficult.

Maybe she should try waking him up with a kiss? Rin's face grew hot at the thought. Sure, they had kissed before, but the thought of doing it right now was a little embarrassing. Oh, why hadn't she thought about how she was going to do this before she went into the room? Rin let out a frustrated sigh, her forehead creasing.

Why did this have to be so complicated?

Forget it, she was just going to kiss him. Rin nodded, a determined look forming on her face, and then she leaned over, slowly bringing her face closer to Kyousuke's.

Kyousuke's eyes opened.

Rin froze, her eyes meeting his.

For a moment, neither of them moved or made a sound. They just remained frozen in place, gazes locked.

"Uh..." Kyousuke broke the silence. "You okay?"

"Uwah!" Rin exclaimed, straightening and stumbling back. Her face had reddened even more. "It's nothing! I'm fine!"

Kyousuke pushed himself up, regarding his sister with a quizzical look. "Whatever were you doing?"

"Um, er..." Rin's eyes darted around. "Well, er, you know... I was making sure you were still breathing! Yeah, that's it. You're such an idiot, you might be dumb enough to stop breathing in your sleep and die!"

Kyousuke let out a sigh, half exasperated and half amused. "That's impossible, Rin." He paused, regarding her thoughtfully. "Ah, I get it. You wanted to wake me up yourself. Were you going to kiss me?"

Rin ground her teeth, her fists clenched. "Ugh, shut up! Just shut up and die!" She whirled around and marched out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Kyousuke looked toward the door with a bemused smile, then slowly shook his head. Rin really was the same as always.


	50. Night

Kyousuke waited by the steps, watching the front doors of the girls' dormitory. He had already been noticed by several girls coming and going, and they had whispered among themselves as they went by. No doubt they were gossiping about him having some secret girlfriend. 

Well, it was certainly a secret alright, a secret that could never be allowed to come out. Kyousuke briefly glanced up at the full moon hanging in the sky, surrounded by a sea of stars. The cover of night could be a blessing, and they were going to use it to their advantage. He looked at the doors again and saw Rin come through. She looked around furtively before hurrying over to him.

"Hey." Rin greeted him with a smile. "You know, it would be a lot less trouble if we could just go to my room. I don't even have a roommate."

"Yeah, right. Even if I was allowed to come to your room, what would people think if I kept doing it? The whole school would start thinking I was a siscon."

Rin raised an eyebrow. "You mean they don't already think so?"

"Well, I hope not. Come on." Kyousuke looked around. The area was clear of students. He linked his hand with Rin's and they hurried behind the back of the building. Once they were within the cover of the trees, the two siblings were able to relax. They walked alongside each other, swinging their joined hands.

"It's kind of exciting." Rin had a big smile on her face. "Sneaking around at night like this, trying not to get caught, I think it's pretty fun."

Kyousuke looked at Rin, flashing back a momentary smile. It was only because they were siblings that they even had to do this, sneaking out under the cover of darkness, staying hidden and making sure nobody found out. There were times when his roommate was out and he would invite Rin over, but at other times they had to be a bit more furtive.

Their journey brought them to the boys' storage shack. As expected, nobody was in there. Kyousuke and Rin quickly slipped inside and closed the door.

"It's so dark in here." Rin sounded a little nervous. "But I guess we can't put the light on."

"Of course not. If the teachers on patrol saw, we would be in trouble. Anyway, it's a clear night so it's not too bad. You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm not scared or anything. You're with me so it's fine."

"Good." Kyousuke brought his hands up to Rin's face and gently cupped her cheeks as he leaned in for a kiss. He let his lips linger there for a while, savouring the kiss while it lasted. Rin pressed into him, a soft moan of pleasure issuing from her throat. He broke away, whispering. "You ready?"

"Mmm."

They lowered themselves to the floor and Kyousuke unbuttoned Rin's shirt. He ran his hands over her bare skin, slipping them beneath her bra and cupping her round breasts while kissing her yet again. Rin writhed underneath him, making further sounds of delight. Kyousuke brought his lips to her neck, kissing her warm skin. He kept going on down to her collarbone, listening to her gentle moans all the while. 

Kyousuke sat up, reaching out to stroke her face, gazing tenderly down at her. In the pale light of the moon, he could just faintly see her silhouette. It was a pity he couldn't see her properly, but darkness was their ally right now. They needed it if they were to keep this a secret. He hastily slipped on the condom before easing down Rin's panties.

"Here we go." Kyousuke kissed Rin again, as he plunged into that forbidden yet delightful territory. In the cover of darkness, the two of them made love, clutching fingers and rubbing flesh against flesh. It was a sin, but it felt oh so good. Kyousuke kept his lips against Rin's, muffling her moans and cries of ecstasy, basking in the delightful euphoria. 

When it was over, they left the storage shack, making sure that nobody was around to see them leave. The siblings made their way through the trees with smiles on their faces, occasionally glancing at each other. Soon, they reached the back of the girls' dormitory.

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow." Kyousuke leaned in, giving Rin a peck on the lips.

"Mmm. You know, that was really amazing." Rin peered up at him, smiling broadly. Her cheeks were stained pink. "I hope we'll be able to do it again soon."

"Yeah. Me too." Kyousuke stroked Rin's hair. He was already looking forward to it, whenever it was. "Goodnight."

"Night." Rin turned away and headed back to the girls' dorm. 

Kyousuke watched her go, then returned to the trees, making sure to keep in the shadows until he was safely back at the boys' dorm. One couldn't be too careful after all.


End file.
